A formal sequence of steps and checkpoints that requests, proposals, or decisions must pass through before being authorized or implemented. It typically involves multiple stakeholders reviewing and signing off at different stages.
Combines 'approval' from Latin 'approbare' (to make good) with 'process' from Latin 'processus' (a going forward). The formalized business concept developed in the mid-20th century as organizations grew and needed systematic controls.
Approval processes are designed to prevent bad decisions, but they often prevent good decisions too by making everything slow and bureaucratic. The best companies regularly audit their approval processes to eliminate steps that add no real value—sometimes a process that made sense at 100 employees is killing you at 1000.
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