Maybe we are all trying to solve the wrong problem.

What are you trying to achieve?

More flexibility and the ability to change the workflow more easily?

A reduction in the number of columns in your table?

By the way - I would keep the current status in the Product table. That is an attribute of the product. That may help with some of the complex queries.

Ultimately, while I am a great fan of the KISS principle, the reason that we get paid the princely salaries (ha!:hehe:) is that we can do the complex queries and make them work. Sometimes life is complex, so the model has to be capable of dealing with it. Complex queries are not inherently bad. Over-complicated queries are!