mode of operation
noun phraseUK /məʊd əv ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/
US /moʊd əv ˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/
The way a thing works or does its job.
The robot's mode of operation is to clean the floor by itself.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The usual way a person or group does things.
Being kind is part of her mode of operation.
3. A setting on a machine that changes how it works.
Press this button to switch the washing machine's mode of operation.
4. The way a business or organization runs.
The company changed its mode of operation to save money.