The problem with bypassing procedures like that is that you also have a higher risk of your change causing an issue, a disruption, or an outright problem. And if you work in a safety critical environment (say a power plant) or an environment subject to severe regulatory requirements (like a pharma plant) that would be bad.
I've worked in the space industry on ground station equipment, I've worked for a nuclear fuel processing plant, and currently work in a pharma plant. Other places were much looser, as you say, and focused on performance. But the 3 examples I just listed don't really care about the most efficient way to do things, but the way that is least likely to end with disastrous fuck ups.
All processes are fallible, there are no guarantees, but freewheeling because it is more efficient is never going to be good from a safety or QA perspective.