How to Measure the Average Approval Time for Requests

Measuring average approval time means tracking, systematically, how long requests take from submission to decision — not estimating it from memory or the occasional complaint. In Jestor, this data is captured automatically through SLA tracking on every approval card.

Without this data, "approvals are slow" stays an impression. With it, it becomes a specific number tied to a specific stage — which is what actually leads to a fix.

What makes approval time hard to measure manually

No consistent timestamp logging across different request types
Different teams tracking (or not tracking) approval time inconsistently
Data that exists in email threads, not in a structured, queryable form
No baseline to compare "before" and "after" a process change

How to measure it automatically

SLA tracking records time spent at every stage of every approval, by default
Average time per stage can be calculated across any date range or request type
Comparing averages before and after a process change shows real impact
Outliers — requests that took far longer than average — are easy to isolate

Why Jestor fits this use case

SLA data is captured automatically, with no manual logging required
Averages and outliers can feed dashboards without a separate report
Comparisons across teams, request types, or time periods are straightforward
Gives management concrete numbers instead of anecdotal impressions

Metric	What it shows
Average time per stage	Where the process is fastest and slowest
Outlier requests	Cases that took far longer than typical

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this data available without a separate reporting tool? Yes, SLA data can feed dashboards directly. More at jestor.com.

Can I compare approval time before and after a change? Yes, by comparing SLA averages across different time periods.

Does this work for any type of approval, not just financial? Yes, SLA tracking applies to any process built on Jestor's cards.

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 and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.

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