I have participated in efforts to streamline such a process by having ECO (Change orders) review meetings at a set time each week. Each function required for sign off would sit around the table, ask questions and approve or reject. Of course, during the week, requests that could not wait for the weekly meeting could be walked around by the initiator for the necessary approvals.
In my current setting, instead of a weekly meeting, we have found it to be very effective to have the initiators walk each change/deviation requests around at any given moment that they wish, present it for the necessary approvals (all persons are readily available) and the majority of the requests are addressed very rapidly.
The attached file contains examples of our Change Order and Deviation forms (albeit in Spanish; no time to translate). Our goals were:
Forms/procedure that do not intimidate the user.
Speed (unless studies are involved, <30 minutes).
Assure that those who need to know or who speak for the customer are involved and aware.
Hope these help.
ctb