A rep offering an extra discount to win a customer needs a fast answer; the sales manager weighs margin, finance weighs amount and risk. Without a set process, either every quote waits for approval by phone, email or WhatsApp, or discounts go out unchecked. A quote approval process turns that decision into rules: quotes that trigger no rule are finalized at once, the rest go to the right approver, and every step is recorded.
Why should quotes go through approval?
Not every quote needs approval: checking each quote built on list prices and the customer’s agreed terms only wastes a manager’s time. Approval makes sense when price or discount departs from the standard, the amount is large or the customer has special terms.
If these sound familiar, it’s time to put approvals into rules:
- Discounts are approved by phone or message, with no record of who approved what.
- Managers must see every quote, so even simple ones wait for them.
- Reps can give discounts and send quotes without approval.
What does an approval rule check?
Approval rules live in the Buyasoft CRM panel, under Quote Operations. They’re checked when a rep moves a prepared quote to “Final”, meaning ready to share with the customer.
A rule can use these conditions, alone or combined:
| Condition | What it checks | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| Submitter and approver | Who submits the quote, and who approves? | Sales reps submit, the regional manager approves |
| Special price | Was a line’s price changed by hand? | Off-list prices always need approval |
| Special discount | Was a line given a discount beyond the customer’s standard discounts? | Quotes with extra discounts go to the sales manager |
| Amount range | Is the total after the overall discount within your range? | Quotes above a set amount go to finance |
| Customer group | Is the customer in one of the chosen groups? | Corporate customers’ quotes go to the relevant manager |
| Lead time, zero price | Does any line have a lead time or a zero price? | No zero-priced line goes out unapproved |
Rules are checked in priority order and the first match applies; if none matches, no approval is needed and the quote is finalized directly. The amount condition applies to quotes in the rule’s currency.
How does multi-step approval work?
When one approver isn’t enough, another rule adds the next step: after approving, the approver counts as the new submitter and the rules are rechecked. If another rule matches, the quote goes to the next approver; otherwise it’s finalized. For example, these two rules build a chain from the rep to the regional manager, then to finance:
- Rule 1: Quotes from sales reps with a special discount need the regional manager’s approval.
- Rule 2: Quotes of ₺250,000 or more from sales reps or the regional manager need the finance manager’s approval.
With these rules, a large quote with a special discount goes to the regional manager, then to finance; a large quote without one goes straight to finance. A quote matching neither rule is finalized without waiting.
Instead of rejecting a quote, approvers can fix its lines, prices and discounts themselves. A rejected quote stays a draft; once the rep corrects it and moves it to Final again, the rules are rechecked from scratch.
Who gets notified, and where is it recorded?
When a quote goes for approval, its owner and the approvers get an email, repeated at each step of a multi-step approval, and the owner hears by email whether it was approved or rejected. Your editable email template can include the quote number, customer, amounts and a link to the quote.
Approvers find quotes waiting for them with the “Awaiting my approval” filter in the quote list, and a finance manager who can’t normally see the sales team’s quotes can still open one submitted for their approval.
Each quote’s Approval History tab lists, in date order, who submitted it for approval and when, who could approve it, who approved or rejected it, and their comments. If the customer wants changes, the quote is revised: a new version opens and the old one is kept read-only.
Who can give discounts, and how much?
Approval rules catch the exceptions; permissions decide who can discount in the first place. A quote’s prices and discounts come from the customer’s pricing terms: changing a line’s price takes the “Define special price” permission, and adding an extra discount takes “Define special discount”. Manual prices and discounts are labeled on the line, so approvers see at a glance what’s standard and what was negotiated.
You also set the limits when reps order for a dealer in the Buyasoft B2B portal: user discount limits set a rep’s maximum discount and minimum margin over the last purchase price, by customer group, product group, customer or product. They can also cover the total discount, including current promotions and the customer’s standard discounts, and the system blocks any price or discount beyond them. Our field sales CRM page has the details.
How does an approved quote become an order?
An approved quote is finalized, and the rep prints it with the template of their choice or shares it with the customer as a PDF. Once the customer accepts, the quote is set to “Accepted” and becomes an order in one click:
- All lines carry over with their discounts and lead times, and prices convert to the customer’s currency at the quote’s exchange rates.
- The quote note becomes the order note; the quote number stays on the order as a reference.
- The quote moves to “Converted to order” and is locked.
A quote that is awaiting approval or was rejected can’t become an order. The new order lands in the list as “Pending”; once approved, it goes to your ERP, and the transfer status shows in the list. For barcode picking and checking in the warehouse, Buyasoft WMS works with the same ERP.
Where do order approval rules fit in?
Not every order starts as a quote: dealers order in the B2B portal themselves, and reps order on their behalf. At order time, the remaining credit limit and overdue balance are checked in the ERP, and conditions such as cart total, customer group, special price, special discount and rep discount decide whether the order is approved automatically or held for review.
Order approval rules can also make a status change, such as “Pending” to “Approved”, require approval from specific people. With several rules for the same change, you can require the sales manager’s approval first, then the general manager’s. Approvers get an email, every step is recorded, and only approved orders reach the ERP.
Where should you start?
- Write down today’s process Who approves which discounts, up to what amount? Those answers are your first rules.
- Prepare customer groups If customers on special terms need their own rule, define the group first.
- Start with a few rules One rule for special prices and discounts and one for large amounts is a good start.
- Check priority and currency Put narrower rules on top, and create a separate rule for each currency you quote in.
- Review the approval history After a while, see which quotes went for approval and adjust the limits accordingly.
Stuck setting up a rule? Ask MeerChat, the AI support assistant in the bottom-right corner of the panel; it knows which page you’re on and answers for that screen.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if an approved quote is changed later?
To change a finalized quote, move it back to draft. When it returns to Final, the rules are rechecked from scratch, even without changes, and it goes for approval again if needed. The same applies to revisions.
Who can change the approval rules?
Managing approval rules is a separate permission; only users you give it to can add and change rules.
In short: A well-designed quote approval process doesn’t tie managers to every quote; it brings them only the exceptions. Rules check special prices, discounts, amounts and customer groups, approvals move by email and stay on record, and an accepted quote becomes an order in one click.
Tell us how you quote today, who approves what and which ERP you use, and we’ll prepare a demo tailored to you.
Request a free demoor call us on +90 216 277 70 80.