Why a clear queue and a named owner can matter more than a faster model. The most useful systems make their responsibilities clear and leave a trail that people can understand.
Measure waiting separately from work
A task may take a minute to process and a day to receive approval. Capture time in each state so you can distinguish slow execution from an unclear handoff.
Give exceptions a destination
Uncertain results need a queue, an owner, and a reason. Include the relevant evidence so a reviewer can act without repeating the entire investigation.
Keep queues bounded
Set realistic limits on retries and work in progress. When a dependency fails, pause related tasks and explain the situation rather than producing an ever-growing backlog.
Change one constraint at a time
Pick the largest source of waiting, try one change, and compare the result over a representative period. Faster individual steps are useful only if the end-to-end flow improves.
A useful next step
Choose one workflow, name its owner, and write down what a good result looks like. Then test a small, reviewable slice before adding more autonomy.