What does the state of a request become when it's pending approval?

When a request is pending approval, it signifies that the request has been submitted and is awaiting a decision from the relevant authority or individual responsible for approving that request. This stage is critical in the workflow of request management within IT Service Management, as it indicates that the process is ongoing and has not yet been finalized.

The status "Pending Approval" is a distinct state that allows stakeholders to understand where the request is in its lifecycle. It highlights that action is required by someone—typically a manager or a designated approver—to either approve or decline the request before it can progress further.

In this context, the other states do not accurately reflect the status of an approval request. For example, "Closed" would imply that the request has been resolved and no further action is required, while "Approved" indicates that a decision has been made in favor of the request. "Open" suggests that the request has been received and is active but does not specifically communicate that it is awaiting approval. Thus, the most appropriate designation for a request that has not yet been approved but is in the queue for evaluation is indeed "Pending Approval."