A quote approval workflow routes a proposed quotation to people authorized to review pricing, discounts, margin, credit or non-standard terms before it is sent. Clear rules let routine offers move quickly while directing exceptions to finance, sales leadership, legal or operations.
Approval should follow measurable risk
Not every quotation deserves the same review. Route exceptions by measurable risk and let routine offers move. The tradeoff is deliberate: tighter control on unusual deals, less delay on ordinary ones.
| Trigger | Likely reviewer | Evidence needed |
|---|---|---|
| Discount above authority | Sales manager | Reason, competitive context and customer commitment |
| Margin below floor | Finance or pricing owner | Current cost and calculated margin |
| Extended payment terms | Finance or credit | Credit review and cash-flow effect |
| Non-standard contract language | Legal | Requested clause and commercial rationale |
| Unusual delivery promise | Operations | Capacity, inventory and lead-time confirmation |
A useful approval path
- Sales prepares the quotation using current products, costs and terms.
- The system tests the offer against approval rules.
- Routine quotes proceed; exceptions are routed with their context.
- The reviewer approves, rejects or requests a specific change.
- The approved revision is locked and sent to the customer.
- Any material later change starts a fresh review.
Illustrative example: one discount breaches two limits
A salesperson proposes a discount above their authority, and the resulting gross margin would also fall below the company's floor. The workflow sends one request to the sales manager and finance with the cost calculation attached. Approval applies to that revision, not to later changes in quantity or payment terms.
Where approval control fails
- Approving through private messages with no link to the quotation
- Routing every quote to senior staff regardless of risk
- Checking discount percentage but not resulting margin
- Letting edits occur after approval without re-review
- Using unclear authority limits or substitute approvers
Apply the rule to the quotation revision, not to a conversation about it. Quotable quote software can hold pricing and approval evidence together. See markup for the price-cost calculation and mid-market procurement controls for the buyer-side parallel.
