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# How to Identify Bottlenecks in Approval Workflows With Real-Time Data
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/identifying-approval-bottlenecks-with-real-time-data/
- Published: 2026-07-31T15:24:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-31T15:24:50.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

To **identify bottlenecks with real-time data** in an approval workflow, the way to go is checking the process **dashboard** and directly asking about the observed pattern. In **Jestor**, **Chat with Data** queries **Approvals** indicators in natural language, with no need to wait for a ready-made report.

## Why approval bottlenecks tend to be discovered late?

Without a real-time indicator, an approval bottleneck only shows up once a payment is already late or a vendor has already complained — by the time the data has already become a problem, not just a warning sign.

## What managers are trying to solve?

- No visibility into how long a request has been sitting at each stage
- Difficulty knowing which approver has the most pending requests
- Need to build a manual report just to see the bottleneck
- Delay identified only after it's already caused impact

## How to check a bottleneck in real time?

The dashboard already shows the indicators; a natural-language question digs deeper into the investigation.

| Signal                                | Where it shows up   | How to investigate        |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------- |
| Card stuck at a stage for a long time | Approvals dashboard | Filter by stage and owner |
| High volume for a single approver     | Indicator by owner  | Ask Chat with Data        |
| Rising average approval time          | Period comparison   | Natural-language query    |

## Why choose Jestor?

- The **Approvals** dashboard shows pending, approved, and rejected requests in near real time
- Chat with Data lets you investigate the cause of a bottleneck with no manual report
- The data reflects the current operation, not an outdated extract

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does the dashboard update automatically?

Yes, the indicators reflect the current state of requests.

### Can I compare approval time across different periods?

Yes, that comparison can be queried directly through Chat with Data.

### Can an identified bottleneck be resolved automatically?

No, identification is automatic, but adjusting the process is still a team decision. Learn more at jestor.com.

## Get to know Jestor

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by AI. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://www.jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.