The three clocks idea is the part I would steal first. One add-on for the month-end problem: put a freeze calendar on your stuck-work board, and tag every waiting item with the tester's name and a "needs testing by" date. When work lands in testing, send a five-minute test script instead of a vague "please test": three steps, the expected result, and a yes or no reply. Anything older than 10 days goes into your weekly leadership update with its age shown. Short, specific asks still get answered during quarter-end, and your data makes that conversation easy.