Research question and scope: when a recurring operations item misses its expected handoff, how much of the elapsed time reflects active work and how much reflects a named dependency? Study one queue, one observation window, and one item definition. Include completed, paused, returned, and abandoned items so the sample does not hide difficult cases.
Record the ready time, first action, dependency type, request time, responding owner, response time, resumed action, and disposition. Preserve the source behind each timestamp. Compare like item classes; a vendor response and an internal approval are different mechanisms even when both appear as waiting.
GAO control principles and NIST governance concepts support clear responsibility and reliable information, while the World Bank provides a broader warning that data quality shapes decisions. These sources inform the method; they do not establish a benchmark for OutsourcedLabor.com, prove a Philippines-specific cause, or validate any client result.
Limitations include missing timestamps, work continued outside the system, changing priorities, and survivor bias when only completed cases are reviewed. This observational design cannot show that a dependency caused a business outcome. Use the findings to repair one handoff, then collect another comparable period.