Temporary process workarounds typically emerge when teams need to solve immediate operational problems. When a system is missing a feature, a report is unavailable, or a process breaks down, employees create quick solutions to keep work moving.
Common examples include manual spreadsheets replacing automated reports, additional approval steps added for control, or informal coordination methods between departments to bridge process gaps.
These solutions are effective in the short term because they address urgent needs. However, they are rarely revisited or removed once the immediate issue passes.
Over time, these workarounds accumulate and become embedded in the workflow. The result is a layered process where multiple fixes exist on top of one another, often without alignment. This increases complexity, slows execution, and creates confusion about how work should actually be completed.
Workflow diagnostics helps identify these accumulated workarounds by mapping how work is truly performed rather than how it is documented. This makes it possible to determine which workarounds are necessary, which can be simplified, and which should be removed entirely to restore efficiency.
