Staff created a shadow process to bypass slow approvals. What should I do?
Workaround driven by process frictionUnderstand why the official route is failing and assess the risks of the workaround. Simplify unnecessary steps, improve decision turnaround, or authorize a controlled exception while preserving essential controls. Punishing users without fixing the bottleneck can drive the workaround further out of sight.
What to do now
- Map the workaround and its purpose
- Assess its control and data risks
- Fix the underlying approval bottleneck
- Agree and communicate the authorized process
When to escalate
The workaround bypasses a material financial security or legal control.
The business process owner and change sponsor
Example
A delegated approver and clearer evidence checklist remove the need for email-only emergency approvals.
Mistake to avoid
Banning the spreadsheet while leaving the approval queue unresolved.
Prevent a repeat
Measure successful use of the intended workflow and resolve recurring barriers instead of relying only on attendance or logins.
Suggested ApprovedFlow setup
- Tasks
- Documents
- Resources
Assign role-specific readiness and feedback actions, keep reviewed job aids with the project, and record accepted operating responsibilities. See the platform
Related cases
- We launched the system, but staff still use spreadsheets. Why?Unresolved adoption barriers
- Several changes hit the same staff this month. How can we reduce fatigue?Overlapping change burden
- A sponsor keeps launching projects outside the intake process. What should happen?Uncontrolled portfolio entry
- Our utilization is high, but delivery is slow. Why?Utilization-flow trade-off