"How far down the totem pole is the Ops team in the mind of the average product manager when it comes time to decide 'we need a new feature'? How soon are they

"How far down the totem pole is the Ops team in the mind of the average product manager when it comes time to decide 'we need a new feature'? How soon are they brought to the table, generally speaking? Compared to other stakeholders, how much of a voice do they have in deciding if a feature is valuable or non-economic?"