Quote approval use cases and commonly used properties

After setting up quote approvals, learn more about frequently used quote approval properties, common approval scenarios, and how to set up exceptions to keep your quoting process accurate and consistent.

Quote approval properties

The table below shows commonly used properties for quote approvals. Properties can be used with standard or advanced approvals.

The following use cases aren't supported using properties:

• Legal and contractual:

• • Set a specific term length in months.
  • Enforce certain attachments to be required.
  • Enforce that certain attachments shouldn't be included.
• Subscription:
  • Include one-time fees.

• Individual or team:
  • Require a team to approve quotes. You can set a team to approve quotes, but each required approver must be selected individually.
  • Set approvals by the location of a team.

Common approval scenarios

Quote approvals offer the flexibility to set up different approval scenarios using properties. Learn about the differences between standard and advanced approvals, and how to turn on and configure quote approvals.

Below, review common approval scenarios for standard and advanced approvals:

Approval for quotes above a certain amount

• Approval type: standard or advanced.
• How to configure the quote approval: use the Quote amount property.

Approval for quotes above a certain discount

• Approval type: standard or advanced.
• How to configure the quote approval: use discount properties for quotes or line items (e.g., Discount %, Total discount).

Approval based on a certain product

• Approval type: standard or advanced.
• How to configure the quote approval: use the SKU or Record ID line item properties.

Require approval for certain users

• Approval type: standard or advanced.

• How to configure the quote approval: use the Quote owner property and select the users who require approval.

Approval for quotes with specific billing frequencies

• Approval type: standard or advanced.

• How to configure the quote approval: use the Billing frequency line item property and set the frequency (e.g., Semi-annually). 

Approval for quotes with specific net terms

• Approval type: standard or advanced.

• How to configure the quote approval: use the Net payment terms property. 

Require approval from one party, then a second party

For example, you may want a quote approved by a manager, then a legal representative.

• Approval type: advanced.
• How to configure the quote approval: use sequential approvals. 

Require different approvals for qualifying, and non-qualifying quotes

• Approval type: advanced.

• How to configure the quote approval: add the Add quote approval step action under both the approval criteria, and the None met branch. In the below example, quotes above $5,000 require approval by Rob. Quotes $5,000 and below require approval by Casey Seller.
  
  
  

Bypass approvals for specific users

Approval type: advanced.

Scenario: have quote approvals in place, but allow some users to bypass them. For example, approvals apply for new team members, while experienced team members do not require approval. In the below example, quotes over $5,000 need approving, except for quotes created by Rob Test and Rob A.

To configure the approval:

1. Navigate to the advanced approval workflow.
2. Under the Trigger enrollment for quotes trigger, click +. In the left panel:
   
   • Click Branch.
   • Click AND/OR logic.
   • Under First, check if, in the Branch name field, enter Skip approvals.
     
     
     
   • Click + Add criteria.
   • Under Object information, click Quote properties.
     
     
     

• • Select Quote owner from the list of properties.
  • In the left panel, under Quote owner, make sure is any of is selected in the first dropdown menu. Click the second dropdown menu and select the quote owners for which approvals should be skipped.
    
    
    

3. • Under If none of the criteria are met, go here:, in the Branch name field, enter Check quote for approval.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
     
     
     
4. Under the Check quote for approval branch, click +.
5. In the left panel enter the criteria for approval. For example, quotes over a certain amount, or quotes with a certain level of discount.
   
   
   
6. Under the approval criteria (e.g., quote amount), click +. In the left panel:
   • Click to expand the CRM section, then click Add quote approval step.
   • Enter a message in the Message to approver field.
   • Click the Approvers dropdown menu and select the approver.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
     
     
     
7. Under the Add quote approval step action, click +. In the left panel:
   • In the left panel, click to expand the CRM section, then click Start quote approval flow. 
   • Under Approvers required, select one of the following:
     • All approvers to require approvals from all approvers for quotes that meet the criteria.
     • Any approvers to require one approval from any of the approvers for quotes that meet the criteria.
     • Sequential to notify approvers in priority order. Sequential approvals require approval by every approver at each priority step.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
8. Under None met, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click Go to action.
   • Click the Start quote approval flow action. If doing this, quotes that don't meet the approval criteria won't go through approvals. If you still want quotes that don't meet approval criteria to go through a separate approval, add a separate Add quote approval step action under the None met branch.
   • Click Done.
9. Under Skip approvals, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click Go to action.
   • Click the Start quote approval flow action.

• • Click Done.
    
    
    

Set approvals for two conditions with different approvers

• Approval type: advanced.

• Scenario: approval is needed for two different conditions, each with a different approver. For example, a quote with a line item discount is routed to approver A (e.g., a sales manager) for approval. Then, if e-signature is used as the acceptance method, it is routed to approver B (e.g., legal) for the second approval. In the below example:

• • If line items are discounted between 25% and 40%, approval is needed from Ima. If E-signature is the acceptance method used on the quote, a second approval is then needed from Casey.

  • If discounts are over 40%, they are routed to Lala for approval, and require a second approval from Casey if E-signature is the acceptance method used on the quote.

     

1. Navigate to the advanced approval workflow.
2. Under the Trigger enrollment for quotes trigger, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click Branch.
   • Click AND/OR logic.
   • Under First, check if, in the Branch name field, enter Discount between 25 and 40%.
   • Click + Add criteria.
   • Under Object information, click Quote properties.
     
     
     
   • Select Total discount percent from the list of properties.
   • Under Group 1, click the is equal to dropdown menu and select is between. In percentage fields enter 25 and 40.
     
     
     
   • Click Add another branch.
   • In the Branch name field, enter Discount over 40%.
   • Click + Add criteria.
   • Under Object information, click Quote properties.
     
     
     
   • Select Total discount percent from the list of properties.
   • Under Group 1, click the is equal to dropdown menu and select is greater than. In the percentage field enter 40.
     
     
     
   • Click Save in the upper right.
3. Under the Discount between 25% and 40% branch, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click to expand the CRM section, then click Add quote approval step.
   • Enter a message in the Message to approver field.
   • Click the Approvers dropdown menu and select the approver.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
4. Under the Discount over 40% branch, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click to expand the CRM section, then click Add quote approval step.
   • Enter a message in the Message to approver field.
   • Click the Approvers dropdown menu and select the approver.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
     
     
     
5. For the Discount between 25% and 40% branch, under the Add quote approval step action, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click Branch.
   • Click AND/OR logic.
   • Under First, check if, in the Branch name field, enter Legal review.
   • Click + Add criteria.
   • Under Object information, click Quote properties.
   • Select Acceptance method from the list of properties.
   • Under Group 1, click the third dropdown menu and select the E-signature checkbox.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
6. Under the Add Quote approval step for the Discount over 40% branch, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click Go to action.
   • Select the Go to legal review if these criteria are met branch.
7. Under the None met branch of the first branch, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click Go to action.
   • Select the Go to legal review if these criteria are met branch.
     
     
     
8. Under the Legal review branch, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click to expand the CRM section, then click Add quote approval step.
   • Enter a message in the Message to approver field.
   • Click the Approvers dropdown menu and select the approver.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
9. Under the Add quote approval step action, click +. In the left panel:
   • Click to expand the CRM section, then click Start quote approval flow.
   • Under Approvers required, select one of the following:
     • All approvers to require approvals from all approvers for quotes that meet the criteria.
     • Any approvers to require one approval from any of the approvers for quotes that meet the criteria.
     • Sequential to notify approvers in priority order. Sequential approvals require approval by every approver at each priority step.
   • Click Save in the upper right.
10. Under the None met branch of the Go to legal review if these criteria are met branch, click +. In the left panel:
    •  Click Go to action.
    • Click the Start quote approval flow action.
    • Click Done.
      
      

Next steps

• Learn how to create and send quotes.
• Learn more about managing quote approvals.