Workflows & automation
When does an approval queue help rather than slow work?
A queue adds control only when it concentrates human judgement where it can change the outcome.
Published 25 September 2026
Define what approval is protecting
Is the risk cost, security, legal commitment or a customer promise? Set the threshold and information needed to decide. If every item needs approval because nobody trusts the upstream data, fix that information problem.
A queue should show the question, relevant evidence, deadline and consequences of delay. A bare list of requests pushes investigation onto the approver.
Measure the burden it creates
Track how many cases are approved unchanged, which are rejected and how long they wait. High approval rates with no changes may indicate the queue is unnecessary or the reviewer lacks time to inspect it.
Keep a clear override and audit trail. The aim is accountable decisions, not an ever-growing number of clicks.
Every low-value purchase waits for the same senior approval as an unusual supplier commitment.
Set documented limits for routine purchases and surface the cases that breach them. The approver can then examine the exception rather than rubber-stamp the queue.