A typical institutional arbitration runs through four broad phases: constitution of the tribunal (commonly 4 to 8 weeks), a first procedural hearing that fixes the calendar, the substantive phase of pleadings and evidence (the longest stage, often several months depending on complexity), and final hearing and award.
Fast-track procedures compress this considerably, often targeting an award within 90 to 180 days by relying primarily on written submissions and limiting oral hearings.
The most common source of delay is not the tribunal — it is an incomplete or disputed procedural record. Institutional administration, where the registry is the single source of truth for filings, orders and deadlines, removes most of that friction and keeps the calendar the tribunal set at the outset from slipping.