Kaizen 230 - Smart Discount-Based Quote Approvals Using CRM Functions and Approval Process

Kaizen 230 - Smart Discount-Based Quote Approvals Using CRM Functions and Approval Process


Hello everyone!
Welcome back to the Kaizen series!
Discount approvals are a standard part of sales governance.
Most organizations need something like this:

Discount %
Required Action
< 10%
Auto-approve
10–19.99%
Sales Manager approval
≥ 20%
VP Sales approval

Zoho CRM already includes a powerful Approval Process feature capable of routing records, locking them, notifying approvers, and maintaining audit history.
So the natural question is "Isn’t the native Approval Process enough?". Often, yes. But when the discount logic depends on accurate percentage calculation across line items and header adjustments, we need a small architectural enhancement.

This Kaizen combines Functions(for decisions), Workflow Rules(for triggers), Approval Process(for governance), and Reporting Hierarchy(for routing) into a clean, scalable solution.

Understanding the native Approval Process

Before adding anything custom, it’s important to recognize what the Approval Process already does extremely well.
  1. Evaluates criteria based on field values
  2. Automatically submits records
  3. Locks records during review
  4. Routes to users, roles, or hierarchy levels
  5. Maintains approval history
  6. Sends notifications
It is a powerful governance engine.
However, it evaluates existing values and does not calculate new ones. That distinction matters in discount scenarios.

The missing piece: Reliable discount percentage

In Quotes:
  1. Discounts may be applied at line-item level
  2. Discounts may be applied at header level
  3. Grand Total reflects cumulative adjustments

There is no guaranteed native field that consistently represents
True Discount % = (Sub_Total - Grand_Total) / Sub_Total * 100

If approval rules rely directly on partial fields(like “Discount”), they may misrepresent the effective discount.

To ensure accuracy, we introduce a Function to calculate and store a reliable Discount Percentage.
We are not replacing the Approval Process, but preparing accurate data for it.

Here is the architectural flow with each component having a distinct responsibility. This makes the system sustainable.
Quote Saved --> Workflow triggers Function --> Function calculates Discount % --> Function sets Approval_Status --> Approval Process evaluates status --> Record submitted and locked

Let's go over this one step at a time.

Step 1: Create Custom Fields(Quotes Module)

Field
Type
Purpose
Discount_Percentage
Percent
Stores calculated discount
Approval_Status
Picklist
Controls approval trigger. Values:
  1. Auto Approved
  2. Pending Manager Approval
  3. Pending VP Approval
  4. Approved
  5. Rejected
Approval_LevelSingle LineDisplays routing level

Step 2: Write the CRM Function(Decision Layer)

This function calculates the effective discount and determines the approval level. This function becomes the decision engine.
void automation.Set_Quote_Approval_Level(String id)
{
quoteId = id.toLong();
quoteDetails = zoho.crm.getRecordById("Quotes",quoteId);
if(quoteDetails != null)
{
subTotal = ifnull(quoteDetails.get("Sub_Total"),0).toDecimal();
grandTotal = ifnull(quoteDetails.get("Grand_Total"),0).toDecimal();
discount = subTotal - grandTotal;
discountPercentage = 0.0;
if(subTotal > 0)
{
discountPercentage = discount / subTotal * 100;
}
approvalStatus = "";
approvalLevel = "";
if(discountPercentage < 10)
{
approvalStatus = "Auto Approved";
approvalLevel = "None - Auto Approved";
}
else if(discountPercentage < 20)
{
approvalStatus = "Pending Manager Approval";
approvalLevel = "Sales Manager";
}
else
{
approvalStatus = "Pending VP Approval";
approvalLevel = "VP Sales";
}
updateMap = Map();
updateMap.put("Discount_Percentage",discountPercentage.round(2));
updateMap.put("Approval_Status",approvalStatus);
updateMap.put("Approval_Level",approvalLevel);
updateResponse = zoho.crm.updateRecord("Quotes",quoteId,updateMap);
}
}

Step 3: Workflow(Trigger Layer)

Every time a quote is saved, we want the discount to be evaluated automatically.
Create the following Workflow Rule:
Module: Quotes
Trigger: On Create or Edit
Action: Execute Function
Map the Quote ID with the "id" argument in the function.


Step 4: Approval Process(Governance Layer)

Rule 1 - Manager Approval when Discount% is 10 to 19.99
Approval_Status = "Pending Manager Approval" --> Route to Sales Manager(via hierarchy)

Rule 2 - VP Sales Approval when Discount% >= 20
Approval_Status = "Pending VP Approval" --> Route to VP Sales(via hierarchy)
When this process is triggered, CRM:
  1. Submits the record for approval
  2. Locks it
  3. Sends notification
  4. Tracks approval history

The outcome


Why is this layered approach strong?

This design works well because each component in the system has a clearly defined responsibility. The CRM Function acts as the decision layer. It performs the discount calculation, determines the appropriate approval level, and updates the control fields. This ensures that the logic behind the approval requirement is accurate and intentional.

The workflow serves as the trigger layer. Its only job is to execute the function whenever a quote is created or edited. It does not contain business logic; it simply initiates the evaluation process at the right time.

The approval process becomes the governance layer. Once the function sets the appropriate status, the approval engine evaluates the criteria, submits the record, locks it, routes it to the correct approver, and maintains the approval history. This is where enforcement happens.

Finally, the reporting hierarchy determines who the approver is. Instead of hard-coding specific users, the system dynamically identifies the appropriate manager or second-level supervisor based on the role structure. This keeps the design scalable and adaptable to organizational changes.

By separating calculation, triggering, enforcement, and routing into distinct layers, the solution remains clean, maintainable, and easy to extend. The Approval Process continues to do what it does best—govern and enforce—while the Function ensures that the decision it evaluates is accurate and business-driven.

Summary

Zoho CRM’s native Approval Process is powerful and reliable.
When business logic depends on calculated values, like true discount percentage, introducing a function strengthens the design by ensuring accurate, consistent decision-making.
Used together, Functions and Approval Process create:
  1. Intelligent routing
  2. Accurate governance
  3. Clean audit trails
  4. Scalable architecture
That combination is what makes this solution robust.

We hope you liked this post. We'll see you next week with another interesting one!
Write to us at support@zohocrm.com or let us know your feedback in the comments section of this post.

Cheers!



==========================================================================




    • Sticky Posts

    • Kaizen #198: Using Client Script for Custom Validation in Blueprint

      Nearing 200th Kaizen Post – 1 More to the Big Two-Oh-Oh! Do you have any questions, suggestions, or topics you would like us to cover in future posts? Your insights and suggestions help us shape future content and make this series better for everyone.

    • Kaizen #226: Using ZRC in Client Script

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post, lets see what is ZRC (Zoho Request Client) and how we can use ZRC methods in Client Script to get inputs from a Salesperson and update the Lead status with a single button click. In this

    • Kaizen #222 - Client Script Support for Notes Related List

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. The final Kaizen post of the year 2025 is here! With the new Client Script support for the Notes Related List, you can validate, enrich, and manage notes across modules. In this post, we’ll explore how

    • Kaizen #217 - Actions APIs : Tasks

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! In last week's post we discussed Email Notifications APIs which act as the link between your Workflow automations and you. We have discussed how Zylker Cloud Services uses Email Notifications API in their custom dashboard.

    • Kaizen #216 - Actions APIs : Email Notifications

      Welcome to another week of Kaizen! For the last three weeks, we have been discussing Zylker's workflows. We successfully updated a dormant workflow, built a new one from the ground up and more. But our work is not finished—these automated processes are

    • Recent Topics

    • Introducing Connected Records to bring business context to every aspect of your work in Zoho CRM for Everyone

      Hello Everyone, We are excited to unveil phase one of a powerful enhancement to CRM for Everyone - Connected Records, available only in CRM's Nextgen UI. With CRM for Everyone, businesses can onboard all customer-facing teams onto the CRM platform to

    • Automation#17: Auto-Create Tasks in Zoho Projects Upon Ticket Creation in Zoho Desk

      Hello Everyone, This edition delivers the solution to automatically create a task in Zoho Projects when a ticket is created in Zoho Desk. Zylker Resorts uses Zoho Desk for bookings and handling guest requests. Zylker resorts outsources cab bookings to

    • Automation#20 : Auto-Add Ticket Tags based on Keywords

      Hello Everyone! Welcome to unveiling custom functions on our Community series. This week's post lets you add tags to your tickets automatically based on the keywords in the ticket subject and the ticket thread. Discover how this custom function helps

    • Automation#21: Track Ticket Transfers Across Departments

      Hello Everyone! With Halloween just around the corner, we'd like to let you know the Zoho Desk team is always there to sweep away your customer service troubles! This week, we’re excited to introduce a custom function that tracks tickets moved between

    • Email Integration - Zoho CRM - OAuth and IMAP

      Hello, We are attempting to integrate our Microsoft 365 email with Zoho CRM. We are using the documentation at Email Configuration for IMAP and POP3 (zoho.com) We use Microsoft 365 and per their recommendations (and requirements) for secure email we have

    • Homepage not assignable to group

    • MS Teams for daily call operations

      Hello all, Our most anticipated and crucial update is finally here! Organizations using Microsoft Teams phone system can now integrate it effectively with Zoho CRM for tasks like dialling numbers and logging calls. We are enhancing our MS Teams functionality

    • Automation#22 Track Ticket Duration at Specific Status

      Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the Community Learning Series! Today, we explore how Zylker Techfix, a gadget servicing firm, boosted productivity by tracking the time spent at a particular ticket status in Zoho Desk. Zylker Techfix customized Zoho Desk’s

    • Automation#23: Automate Guided Conversations in Zoho Desk with Business Hours

      Hello Everyone, This week's edition introduces a custom function designed to automate Guided Conversations in Zoho Desk, based on your business hours. With this feature, you can align the bot's behavior with your business schedule, ensuring a smooth and

    • Address changes in quote form

      When entering a quote, the first piece of information required is the Account, which properly populates the billing and shipping address fields. Then I use the lookup function to select a contact, and when I do, the billing and shipping addresses are

    • Automation#24: Auto-Update custom field from Accounts to Tickets

      Hello Everyone! Welcome back to the Community Learning Series! This episode dives into how Zylker Techfix streamlines account-related ticket references. Previously, employees had to manually check account details to retrieve specific customer information,

    • Kaizen #227 : Client Script Support for List Page (Canvas)

      Hello everyone! Welcome to another week of Kaizen. In today's post lets see how Client Script can be used in Canvas List Page to mask sensitive information from specific roles and add colors to Canvas List Page records based on custom criteria.This use

    • Implement Date-Time-Based Triggers in Zoho Desk

      Dear Zoho Desk Support Team, We are writing to request a new feature that would allow for the creation of workflows triggered by specific date-time conditions. Currently, Zoho Desk does not provide native support for date-time-based triggers, limiting

    • Automation#25: Move Tickets to Unassigned When the Owner Is Offline

      Hello Everyone, Welcome to this week's Community Series! 'Tis the holiday season—a time when work often takes a brief pause. The holiday spirit is in full swing at Zylker Techfix too, with employees taking some well-deserved time off. During this period,

    • Automation#27: Retain Ticket Owner on Moved Tickets

      Hello Everyone! This week, we present to you a custom function that retains the ticket owner when a ticket is moved from one department to another. Here’s more to help you understand the custom function: At Zylker Techfix, Alex, the Support Engineer manages

    • Automation#28 Notify Agents on Article Expiry

      Hello Everyone! This week, we’re bringing you a feature that notifies your team when articles in the Knowledge Base are set to expire to keep your content relevant and helpful for customers. The Zoho Desk's Knowledge Base is an asset for customers to

    • Automation#29 Retain ticket status on moved tickets

      Hello Everyone, Hear out Zylker Techfix’s Success Story on Smoother Ticket Transitions! Zylker Techfix, a gadget servicing firm committed to quick repairs and timely deliveries, faced a challenge when ticket statuses changed automatically while moving

    • Automation#32:Auto Add New Portal Users to the Help Center User Groups

      Hello Everyone, Introducing a custom function that automates the process of adding new portal users to Help Center user groups, making user management effortless! By default, Zoho Desk allows you to assign new portal users to groups manually. But with

    • Automation#34 : Automate Email threading for Ticket notification

      Hello Everyone, It's been a while since we've presented an automation. However, our community has been buzzing with ideas, use cases, and discussions with our community experts and Ask the Experts session. So, here we are again, presenting an automation

    • Automation#35 : Auto-Add Comments under the Owner's Name in Tickets via Macros

      Hello Everyone, This week's custom function provides simple steps to configure a Macro for adding comments to tickets with the name of the Comment owner. When managing tickets, you can use the Comment feature to communicate internally with your team and

    • Automation#36: Auto-create time-entry after performing the Blueprint transition

      Hello Everyone, This week’s edition focuses on configuring a custom function within Zoho Desk to streamline time tracking within the Blueprint. In this case, we create a custom field, and request the agent to enter the spending time within the single

    • Automation#33: Automate Splitting Names for Existing Contact Records

      An organized directory – who doesn't love one? Previously, we explored how to split contact names into First Name and Last Name for new contacts in Zoho Desk. But what about existing contacts already in your database? This week, we bring you a custom

    • Workqueue

      I really like the idea of the Workqueue generally - it will be really useful. What it seems to lack however, is the ability to customise it properly. I want to be able to show a custom view rather than just "My Leads" and "Leads Assigned in Last 3 hours".

    • Webform & spam

      Hi, We set up 2 webform on our website, fowarding the content to Zoho CRM. Since it has been opened up, we are getting lot of spam message (for now about 20 a day). To lower the amount of false new leads we added the captcha field and new enquieries are

    • Zoho CRM Web form page URL

      Hi there, I am getting quite a bit of spam through my Zoho CRM Web form and want to restrict the URLs it is submittable from. I can see that I can add Location URLs but I need to be able to just add a domain so can I enter mydomain.com/* to cover all

    • Receiving too many Spam Leads. Why?

      I am receiving so many junk leads from web forms created by zoho's platform. The junk queries are increasing day by day and are affecting our business. I am continuously following up with zoho team from the past one year but not getting any satisfactory

    • Mail Merge is not working properly as far as the AUTOMATE section is concerned

      Hi there, I created a Mail Merge template for the Deal module. I would like Deal owners to mail merge their Deal records, download the Mail Merge document as a Word doc and make a few changes before sending it to the customer. Thing is, neither the "Merge

    • Canvas Detail View Related List Sorting

      Hello, I am having an issue finding a way to sort a related list within a canvas detail view. I have sorted the related list on the page layout associated with the canvas view, but that does not transfer to the canvas view. What am I missing?

    • project name field issue- n8n

      Hey guys, I have a question. I want to create a new product using the workflow. The problem is with the product name field; I don't know how to fill it in. The workflow starts with retrieving information from the leads table, retrieving links to scrape

    • Function #20: Custom calculation in item table of invoices

      When you create an invoice in Zoho Books, the 'Amount' of a line item is typically calculated as the product of the "Quantity" and the "Rate" of the item. For instance, if an item has a sales rate of $50 and a quantity of 5 is sold, then the amount would

    • Critical:- Eneble TDS filing for 26Q from the zoho book

      We currently extract TDS data from Zoho Books and manually input it into a separate TDS software to generate the FUV file and file returns. Previously, while using Tally, we benefited from an integrated feature that seamlessly recorded transactions and

    • How to track repeat customers?

      I own a food business and every order is entered into Zoho with: a unique Customer ID total order amount date of order With this information, I want to be able to see a list of my "best" customers. In other words, descending lists arranged according to:

    • Zoho Books - Breaking A Working App

      We've been using Zoho for many years now. Across all apps, entering phone numbers in standard formats was enabled in all apps. These formats are: xxx.yyy.zzzz xxx-yyy-zzzz (xxx) yyy-zzzz and we were able also to add extension numbers in these formats:

    • Build data protection into your support

      At Zoho, privacy is our principle. Every Zoho product is built with privacy as the foundation and the finishing touch, guiding every decision we make. Security, privacy, and compliance are woven into the software development lifecycle, starting from how

    • Conditional formatting: before/after "today" not available

      When setting conditional formatting, it only allows me to set a specific calendar date when choosing "Before" or "After" conditions. Typing "today" returns the error "Value must be of type date". Is there a workaround? Thanks for any help!

    • Display Client Name in Zoho Creator Client Portal Dashboard

      Hello Zoho Creator Team, We hope you are doing well. Zoho Creator recently introduced the option to set a client’s display name in the Client Portal settings, which is very helpful for providing a personalized portal experience. However, there is currently

    • Customizable UI components in pages | Theme builder

      Anyone know when these roadmap items are scheduled for release? They were originally scheduled for Q4 2025. https://www.zoho.com/creator/product-roadmap.html

    • Amazon.in FBA multiple warehouse integration with Zoho Inventory

      My organisation subscribed to Zoho One looking at the opportunity to integrate Amazon.in with Inventory. But during the configuration, we understood the integration has severe limitations when it involves multiple warehouses in the same Organisation.

    • Feature Request - Set Default Values for Meetings

      Hi Zoho CRM Team, It would be very useful if we could set default values for meeting parameters. For example, if you always wanted Reminder 1 Day before. Currently you need to remember to choose it for every meeting. Also being able to use merge tags

    • Windows Desktop App - request to add minimization/startup options

      Support Team, Can you submit the following request to your development team? Here is what would be optimal in my opinion from UX perspective: 1) In the "Application Menu", add a menu item to Exit the app, as well as an alt-key shortcut for these menus

    • Next Page