Approval cycle time
The time taken to move an item through required approval.
Formula
Approval cycle time
average(approval decision timestamp - approval request timestamp), with median and p90
Unit
days
Direction
Lower is better
Cadence
Monthly by approval type.
Worked Example
Governance approval review.
Approvals sampled
45
Average cycle time
6.8 days
p90 cycle time
18 days
Calculation
Average and p90 elapsed time from request to decision
Result
6.8 days average; 18 days p90
Interpretation
A small number of approvals may be creating the lived governance drag.
Recommended action
Inspect p90 approvals and redesign bottleneck paths.
Why it matters
This metric helps leaders see whether the governance layer is healthy enough to support execution and AI readiness.
What it reveals
Whether governance is creating necessary control or unnecessary delay.
Manual assessment method
Track when approvals are requested, reviewed, decided, and communicated.
Lapemo calculation path
Supported by approval timestamps on decisions and artifacts where governance workflows are recorded.
Interpretation Bands
Healthy
Within approval SLA
Approvals move as designed.
Watch
1-25% over SLA
Review repeat delays.
Risk
26-75% over SLA
Governance is slowing work.
Critical
>75% over SLA
Approval design requires executive attention.
Required inputs
- Approval request timestamp
- Approval decision timestamp
- Approver
- Risk tier
Data sources
- Governance workflow
- Decision log
- Ticketing system
Common pitfalls
- Only reporting average
- Not segmenting by risk tier
Recommended actions
- Review p90 delays
- Clarify approver authority
- Create risk-tiered paths
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