Great question — I’ve seen this happen with both startups and scaling businesses. Internal processes are meant to provide structure, but when not regularly reviewed, they can become bottlenecks. Here are a few early signs to watch out for:

Slower Decision-Making – If approvals and routine tasks start taking too long, it often signals that processes are layered with unnecessary steps or unclear ownership.

Workarounds Become Common – When employees begin bypassing official processes “just to get things done,” it means the current systems no longer support productivity.

Employee Frustration or Burnout – Repetitive complaints about tools, approvals, or coordination often point to inefficiencies that are undermining morale and performance.

Lack of Visibility Across Teams – When departments start operating in silos because the processes don’t encourage collaboration or data-sharing, misalignment creeps in fast.

Quality or Compliance Errors Increase – If you notice more mistakes, missed deadlines, or non-compliance issues, the root cause might be outdated or unclear workflows.