Manual Approval Bottlenecks: Causes and Fixes

TL;DR: Approval Bottlenecks Explained & The Fixes We Uncovered

• Approval bottlenecks occur when documents or requests stall because the right person is unavailable, unclear on their role, or burdened by too many manual tasks.
• The most common causes include unclear routing rules, missing deadlines, single-point-of-failure approvers, and lack of visibility into pending items.
• Fixes range from simple process adjustments (adding backup approvers, setting escalation rules) to full workflow automation using approval workflow software.
• Automating approvals reduces cycle times by 40-60% on average and eliminates errors caused by manual handoffs.
• Organizations can resolve most workflow approval bottlenecks without replacing existing systems by adding conditional routing, automated reminders, and real-time status tracking.

What Is an Approval Bottleneck?

An approval bottleneck is any point in a business process where work stops waiting for someone to review, sign, or authorize a document or request. These delays occur when approvers are overloaded, out of office, or simply unaware that action is required.

In document-heavy workflows, approval bottlenecks are especially damaging. Contracts expire while waiting for signatures. Purchase orders miss vendor deadlines. Employee onboarding stalls because HR cannot locate the hiring manager for final authorization.

The cost is measurable: slower revenue recognition, frustrated customers, compliance risks, and wasted staff time spent chasing down signatures.

What's Really Stalling Your Workflow Approval Bottlenecks?

Identifying the root cause of approval bottlenecks is the first step toward solving them. Here are the most common culprits behind manual workflow problems.

Unclear Routing Rules

When documents arrive at the wrong desk, or when nobody knows who should approve what, delays happen. Organizations typically rely on email chains or verbal handoffs rather than documented approval paths.

Signs this is your problem:

• Staff regularly ask "Who needs to sign this?"
• Documents get forwarded multiple times before reaching the correct approver
• Approvals happen inconsistently depending on who initiates the request

Single-Point-of-Failure Approvers

If one person holds approval authority for critical processes, their vacation, sick day, or workload spike becomes a bottleneck for everyone. This is common with executives, legal counsel, or compliance officers who must review certain document types.

Signs this is your problem:

• Approvals stop completely when a specific person is unavailable
• A single inbox becomes the chokepoint for dozens of pending requests
• Staff plan major submissions around one person's calendar

Lack of Visibility

Approvers cannot act on requests they do not know exist. When documents sit in email inboxes or shared drives without notifications, delays compound. This is one of the most persistent manual workflow problems in organizations that have not adopted workflow tracking tools.

Signs this is your problem:

• Requesters frequently follow up with "Did you see my email?"
• Approvers discover urgent items only when deadlines pass
• No central view shows pending approvals across the team

No Escalation Path

Without automatic escalation rules, overdue approvals simply remain overdue. Staff may hesitate to escalate manually due to office politics or uncertainty about protocol.

Signs this is your problem:

• Approvals that miss deadlines rarely get reassigned
• No one is notified when an item has been pending beyond acceptable limits
• The same approvers appear repeatedly in delay reports

Complex or Excessive Approval Chains

Requiring five signatures when two would suffice creates unnecessary delay. Over-engineered approval processes often emerge from outdated policies or a "better safe than sorry" mindset that no longer matches actual risk levels.

Signs this is your problem:

• Low-value requests require the same approval chain as high-stakes decisions
• Staff routinely complain that approvals take longer than the work itself
• Executives approve dozens of routine items they barely review

Identify Bottlenecks: Proactive Tactics for the Curious and Relentless

Proactive monitoring prevents small delays from becoming major disruptions. Here are practical methods for spotting approval bottlenecks early.

Track Cycle Time by Stage

Measure how long documents spend at each approval stage. If contracts average two days in legal review but six days waiting for finance sign-off, you have found your bottleneck.

How to do this:

• Record timestamps when documents enter and exit each approval stage
• Calculate average dwell time per stage over a consistent period (e.g., monthly)
• Compare stages to identify outliers

Monitor Approval Queue Depth

Count how many items are pending for each approver at any given time. An approver with 50 pending items will inevitably create delays, regardless of their efficiency.

What to watch for:

• Queues that grow faster than they clear
• Seasonal spikes (e.g., end-of-quarter contract rushes)
• Imbalances where some approvers are overwhelmed while others have minimal load

Review Rejection and Revision Rates

High rejection rates at specific approval stages often indicate upstream problems. If legal rejects 40% of contracts for missing information, the bottleneck is not legal review but the data collection process that precedes it.

Gather Approver Feedback

Ask approvers directly: What slows you down? Common responses include insufficient context, unclear approval criteria, or requests that arrive incomplete.

Platforms like altaFlow provide built-in analytics that surface these metrics automatically. Teams using workflow automation software can access real-time dashboards showing approval status, cycle times, and pending queues without manual tracking.

What Does an Optimized Approval Process Look Like?

An effective approval workflow has five core characteristics.

Clear Ownership at Every Stage

Each approval stage has a defined owner (or set of owners) with explicit authority and responsibility. There is no ambiguity about who should act.

Conditional Routing

Requests route to different approvers based on criteria such as value, department, risk level, or document type. A $500 purchase order does not require the same scrutiny as a $50,000 contract.

Automated Notifications and Reminders

Approvers receive alerts when items arrive in their queue and reminders when deadlines approach. Requesters receive status updates without needing to follow up.

Backup and Escalation Paths

When primary approvers are unavailable or unresponsive, the system automatically routes to designated alternates or escalates to managers.

Full Audit Trail

Every action (approval, rejection, delegation, edit) is logged with timestamps and user identities. This supports compliance requirements and provides data for process improvement.

Organizations seeking workflow efficiency solutions can implement these characteristics using no-code platforms that connect to existing systems. Document generation tools integrated with CRM data ensure approvers receive complete, accurate information from the start.

Automate Approvals: Smart Control, Zero Friction (How We Do It)

Automation does not mean removing humans from important decisions. It means removing unnecessary friction so humans can focus on decisions that actually require their attention.

Start with Rule-Based Routing

Define conditions that determine where each request should go. Examples:

• Contracts over $25,000 require VP approval; under $25,000 require manager approval only
• Expense reports over $1,000 require finance review; under $1,000 are auto-approved
• Documents involving new vendors require legal review; renewals with existing vendors do not

Add Conditional Logic for Exceptions

Build pathways for edge cases. If a contract contains non-standard terms, route it to legal. If a request arrives from a specific department, add an extra compliance check.

Implement Threshold-Based Escalation

Set time limits for each approval stage. If an item has been pending for 48 hours, send a reminder. If pending for 72 hours, escalate to the approver's manager or a designated backup.

Maintain Visibility and Override Options

Administrators should be able to view all pending approvals and manually reassign items when necessary. Automation handles the routine; humans handle the exceptions.

Connect Approvals to Your Source Systems

The most effective approval workflow software integrates with the systems where your data lives. Salesforce document automation allows teams to trigger approvals directly from CRM records, ensuring approvers have full context without switching between tools.

Can You Fix Bottlenecks Without a Complete Process Overhaul?

Yes. Many organizations see significant improvement from targeted interventions rather than wholesale redesign.

Quick Wins (Implement in Days)

Medium-Term Improvements (Implement in Weeks)

Long-Term Transformation (Implement in Months)

For organizations running Salesforce, contract negotiation automation can reduce approval cycles from weeks to days by eliminating manual document handling.

What Metrics Should You Track to Measure Improvement?

After implementing workflow efficiency solutions, monitor these key indicators:

Cycle Time

Total time from request submission to final approval. Track both average and 90th percentile (the time it takes to complete 90% of requests) to identify outliers.

Target: Reduce by 30-50% within three months of automation

On-Time Completion Rate

Percentage of approvals completed within defined SLAs. This measures consistency, not just speed.

Target: Achieve 95%+ on-time completion for standard requests

Queue Depth

Number of items pending per approver at any given time. Persistently high queues indicate capacity issues.

Target: No approver should have more than 10 pending items for longer than 24 hours

First-Pass Approval Rate

Percentage of requests approved without revision. Low rates indicate problems with request quality or unclear criteria.

Target: 85%+ for routine approvals

Escalation Rate

Percentage of approvals requiring escalation. Some escalation is healthy; excessive escalation suggests primary routing is flawed.

Target: Under 10% for well-designed workflows

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an approval bottleneck and a review bottleneck?

An approval bottleneck occurs when a document waits for formal authorization to proceed. A review bottleneck occurs when a document waits for feedback or edits. Both cause delays, but approvals are typically binary (yes or no), while reviews may involve iterative changes. Organizations should track and address both types.

How much time can approval automation actually save?

Organizations implementing approval workflow software typically report 40-60% reductions in approval cycle times. The savings come from eliminating wait times between stages, reducing errors that cause rework, and enabling approvers to act immediately when they receive notifications rather than discovering requests hours or days later.

Can approval bottlenecks create compliance risks?

Yes. When approvals are delayed or bypassed due to pressure, organizations may execute contracts without proper authorization, miss regulatory filing deadlines, or lack documentation required for audits. Automated approval workflows create audit trails that demonstrate proper controls were followed.

What if our approvers resist automation?

Resistance often stems from fear of losing control or visibility. Address this by involving approvers in workflow design, ensuring they can still override automated decisions when necessary, and demonstrating how automation reduces their administrative burden rather than their authority. Most approvers welcome tools that reduce their queue of routine items so they can focus on decisions that genuinely require their expertise.

How do approval bottlenecks affect customer experience?

Customers waiting for contract signatures, service authorizations, or refund approvals experience delays directly. Internal bottlenecks become external frustrations. Organizations that automate approvals often see measurable improvements in customer satisfaction scores because requests move faster and customers receive more consistent communication about status.

Glossary

Approval Bottleneck

• A point in a workflow where progress stops because a required approver is unavailable, overloaded, or unaware of pending items.

Conditional Routing

• The automatic direction of requests to different approvers based on predefined criteria such as value, department, or document type.

Escalation Rule

• An automated trigger that reassigns or elevates a pending approval when it exceeds a specified time threshold.

Cycle Time

• The total elapsed time from when a request is submitted to when it receives final approval.

Audit Trail

• A chronological record of all actions taken on a document or request, including who acted, when, and what they did.

Final Thoughts: Stop Chasing Signatures, Start Closing the Loop

Approval bottlenecks are not inevitable. They are symptoms of processes designed for a pre-digital era when routing a document meant physically carrying it down the hall.

Modern approval workflow software eliminates these friction points by connecting people, documents, and systems in workflows that move automatically. The right person receives the right document at the right time, with full context and clear instructions.

For teams running document-heavy processes in Salesforce, NetSuite, or Microsoft Dynamics, altaFlow provides a no-code platform that automates document generation, routing, approvals, and signatures while syncing status back to your CRM.

Ready to eliminate approval bottlenecks? Request a demo to see how altaFlow automates your exact workflows.