Approval Process with Quotes Approval in Dynamics

In our project, we have developed a sophisticated hierarchical structure within Dynamics 365 to manage the client’s Quote Approval process efficiently across different levels of the organization. The hierarchy begins with the primary business unit representing the country, which branches into various regions and further down into individual branches corresponding to cities. Each branch is managed by a Branch Manager, with Regional Managers overseeing their respective areas and a Sales Director responsible for the overall business unit.

The critical aspect of this project is the seamless integration with the client’s ERP system, ensuring that the essential data, such as Accounts and Quotes Approval, flows directly into Dynamics 365. As a custom entity in our system, the Quote Approval entity required manual configuration of all relationships to maintain accuracy and functionality. Each account can have multiple associated quotes, which need to be approved or rejected by specific managers.

Our solution provides an approval process for these quotes tailored to the client’s particular requirements. Each quote has a manager. Once the manager completes their work on a quote, they can send it for approval by triggering the approval process.  

The approval workflow is intelligently designed using Power Automate Flow. When the manager clicks on the "Send for Approval" button, the system automatically generates a queue of required approvers based on the quote amount and margin. The number of approvers varies, ensuring the process aligns with the organization’s hierarchical structure and financial controls.

Once the queue is established, Power Automate sends emails to the approvers sequentially, giving them the option to either approve or reject the quote. The notifications are sent via Outlook and Teams, leveraging Microsoft's integrated approval solution.  

Additionally, we have evolved a custom solution that allows approvers to manage approvals directly from the form within Dynamics 365. This flexibility means that a manager can approve a quote from an email, Teams, or directly from the form, depending on what is most convenient at the time.

If all the approvers in the queue approve the quote, the sender receives an email notification confirming the approval. Conversely, if any approver rejects the quote, the sender is notified, and the quote status reverts to the Draft for further action.

This system not only streamlines the approval process but also ensures that all the steps are traceable and aligned with the client’s operational hierarchy. The integration with the ERP system, combined with the flexibility of the approval options, makes this solution a comprehensive tool for managing quotas efficiently within Dynamics 365.