Which reporting approach uses lifecycle states to assess process performance?

• A. Filtering reports by all lifecycle states to hide bottlenecks.
• B. Always reporting only the final state.
• C. Filtering reports by specific lifecycle states to analyze cycle time and bottlenecks.
• D. Using states to automatically approve contracts.

Answer: (C)

Lifecycle-based reporting centers on how long items spend in each stage of a process. When you filter reports by specific lifecycle states, you can measure cycle time for those stages and spot where work piles up. This makes bottlenecks visible and allows targeted process improvements, plus it supports trend analysis by comparing how long items stay in different states over time. For example, filtering to the middle states can reveal if approvals are the hold-up, or how long transitions take.

Filtering by all lifecycle states hides bottlenecks because delays in one stage get averaged with others, masking where the problem is. Reporting only the final state provides end-to-end results but loses visibility into intermediate steps that reveal cycle time and bottlenecks. Automatic approvals based on states isn’t a reporting approach and doesn’t illuminate performance. So, filtering by specific lifecycle states to analyze cycle time and bottlenecks is the best fit.