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

    • Social media simplified with Zoho Social: Why should brands have a Threads profile?

      Just over a year ago, Instagram launched Threads, the all new social media app primarily focusing on sharing text online. It was welcomed by people worldwide with more than 10 million users in just seven hours, and it currently has over 175 million active

    • Auto tracking URL generation based on Carrier

      Hi, While creating a shipment order for a package in Zoho Books, I have a requirement that for example, if the carrier is Delhivery and tracking number is 1234, then can automatically the tracking link/URL be generated as www.delhivery.com/1234. Similary,

    • New Beginnings with Zoho Desk mobile app best practices: Part 3

      In focus: Scaling consistency, intelligence, and customization In our third installment, we'd like to share tips to help you elevate your customer experience as you handle support operations seamlessly on mobile. Let's reconnect with Omniserve, the field

    • Highlights of 2025: Milestones and moments

      Hey everyone! As we step into 2026, it’s a great time to look back at everything 2025 brought to Zoho Social. This year was big, packed with powerful new features, smart enhancements, exciting events, and a major milestone: a whole decade of Zoho Social.

    • Introducing the sandbox environment in Zoho Sign

      Hey there! Customer and partners across the globe have been requesting a testing environment—also called a sandbox—for quite some time. Sandboxes help you try out document workflows before using them in your production setup. This new year, we are excited

    • Can I share the drive with another Windows user?

      We use the WorkDrive Sync application on a server with several remote desktop users. Our question is: Can the drive created by WorkDrive Sync be shared from one of these remote users with the other users so they can access the files, or do we need to

    • Syncing Bills in Zoho Books to Zoho CRM

      Is there any way to sync the Bills in Zoho Books in Zoho CRM

    • Auto CheckOut Based On Shift.

      This Deluge script runs on a scheduled basis to automatically set the 'Actual_Check_Out' time for employees who haven't manually checked out. If the current time is past their scheduled 'Shift_End_Time', the script updates the check-out time to match

    • ERROR: Product type cannot be changed for Items having transactions.

      I have mistakenly added a product type as goods for an item that was a digital service. Now when HSN/SAC became mandatory, this brought my attention to this error I did. So I tried changing the product type but it displayed this error message Product

    • Boost your CRM accuracy with smart Data Enrichment

      Hello all! In this post let's look at data enrichment from a holistic perspective to gain more clarity on how you can use it. So, here's a quick recap of what data enrichment is and how you set it up it to enhance your existing module data! What is data

    • Is it possible to set a region lookup table so that my deal country can lookup this lookup table

      Hi there, I would like to be able to add a data lookup table with the following fields: Country, Region. And then in my deal report, i can then lookup this table to fish out the region in my report. This will be important for my sales process to categorise

    • Test Emails Show Sent "via zcsend.net" in My Gmail Account

      I noticed the following info... However, a few email service providers such as Outlook and Gmail will display that the email was sent by zcsend.net (Zoho campaigns’ server) on your behalf instead of just your from email address.  In order to prevent this, you can go for either of these options: Do not select the check box meant for DomainKey Signature which is listed under Unverified sender domains. Include our mail servers by advanced authentication method such as SPF/ Sender ID and DomainKey/ DKIM.

    • 'UnAuthenticated Connection: zbooks_connection'

      I have a zoho connection in Zoho Books, the link name es zbooks_connection, but I like to validate if exist, by example if I use this line in my code: response=zoho.books.getTemplates("", "","zbooks_connection"); But I don't  have the connection I like

    • Calling the new 'Custom API' feature from within a Custom Widget

      From what I've learned it is not possible to call an endpoint from the new "Custom API" feature within a Creator Widget. The SDK's doesn't support it yet, when calling it natively you end up with CORS issues or at least I couldn't get it working even

    • Cannot post to Instagram. I get the error: Insufficient permission to publish on this page. Check with your page Admin to update permissions.

      We had another admin that left the company. Since he left, we get this error when posting to Instagram.

    • Zoho desk desktop application

      does zoho desk has a destop applicaion?

    • Ability to re-order Workflow Rules

      We really need the ability to re-order workflow rules within departments.  Either the ability to drag/drop them into a different order or something.

    • Create an article template

      I have a question concern the Knolwedge Database from Zoho Desk. There is any possibility to create an article template ? Exemple of what I research : TODAY : I want to create a lot af articles with the same baseline > I create one article > I copy/paste

    • Change of Blog Author

      Hi, I am creating the blog post on behalf of my colleague. When I publish the post, it is showing my name as author of the post which is not intended and needs to be changed to my colleague's name. How can I change the name of the author in the blogs?? Thanks, Ramanan

    • Zoho FSM API Delete Record

      Hi FSM Team, It would be great if you could delete a record via API. Thank you,

    • Instant Messaging Update | Now migrate your WhatsApp Business phonenumber from another BSP to Zoho Desk | Dec'23

      Hi All, Everything seems to move at lightning speed these days, and time is certainly flying by for the IM team. But we are delighted at how much ground we covered this year. 🚀 For one, we enabled WhatsApp business phone number migration so that you

    • Upload ticket attachments via Drag-&-Drop

      Hello, if you want to upload a file to the ticket attachment you need to click the button and use the file browser to select and upload the desired file. In many cases, it would be much more efficient if you could simply drag the file to the browser window...

    • Can we disable add to cart in Zoho Commerce?

      Hello, Our sales happen on the phone. During the call the customer is directed to our website to inspect the products together with the sales rep. So we need a way to present our inventory. I figured Zoho Commerce is a good fit for this use case. However

    • Introducing WhatsApp integration in Bigin

      Greetings! In today's business landscape, messaging apps play a significant role in customer operations. Customers can engage with businesses, seek support, ask questions, receive personalized recommendations, read reviews, and even make purchases—all

    • Zoho One account closure vs deactivation

      I wonder what are the best practices and guidelines around deactivating vs deleting Zoho accounts in organisations? Any practical considerations?

    • Schedule Zoho CRM reports only on Business Days

      Hello, Is it possible to schedule reports only on business days ? We currently get daily sales reports on weekend which has no value since the sales team doesn't work on weekends. Thanks

    • How to install Widget in inventory module

      Hi， I am trying to install a app into Sales Order Module related list, however there is no button allow me to do that. May I ask how to install widget to inventory module related list?

    • How to track a contact or customer's past product purchases in Bigin Premiere?

      Hello there. I am the sole user of Bigin for a small company (chess club), and would like to track current and past purchases made by a contact (player) or company (family which includes the player). Players may register for multiple tournaments, take

    • LENTITUD EN RECIBIR MAIL

      Buenas tardes, Estamos experimentando lentitud en la recepción de correos electrónicos.

    • Items should display under specific warehouse

      I have configured the multi warehouse but it show all the items under all warehouse which is not correct according to our business logic, so i want that items should only display under that specific warehouse not under all the warehouses not even with zero quantity. Some items should be common but not all so is there any option for that purpose so i can specific the items to its warehouse. Regards

    • Partial refunds

      I am trying to process refund for a one item invoice, however the refund is partial: i am getting this error while creating credit note, can anyone share some wisdom about this

    • Best practice importing items and matching assemblies

      Hi, I was wondering what would be the best practice to import items and composite items (assemblies) From my backup, what should I import first? The items or the composite items? I am on Zoho one, using inventory and books. Kind regards, Sabine

    • Bulk Fill In & Edit PO/Bill/SO/Invoice

      Hello, I am adding stock in bulk on a PO, the system is automatically populating the Rate (price) and Tax from the item data. Problem is that the bill rate is different from the rate on the item data, so I have to manually erase each and enter the price.

    • Items Below Reorder Point Report?

      Is there a way to run a report of Items that are below the Reorder Point? I don't see this as a specific report, nor can I figure out how to customize any of the other stock reports to give me this information. Please tell me I'm missing something s

    • Cancelled Transfer order problem

      Hello, We've canceled a transfer order, and we can't add the related items to a new Transfer Order. The system tells us that the bin doesn't have the required quantity, but when we check the item, it indicates that there are 2 units in the bin. It also

    • Creating a Chart from a Report

      In Zoho Analytics, is it possible to create a chart from a Pivot View report? We are looking to use Zoho Analytics to replace Excel for Sales reports and would like to be able to show both the table and the chart together.

    • Client Portal ZOHO ONE

      Dear Zoho one is fantastic option for companies but it seems to me that it is still an aggregation of aps let me explain I have zoho books with client portal so client access their invoice then I have zoho project with client portal so they can access their project but not their invoice without another URL another LOGIN Are you planning in creating a beautiful UI portal for client so we can control access to client in one location to multiple aps at least unify project and invoice aps that would

    • Email Insights included in Bigin emals are marked as SPAM everywhere

      Today I noticed that email recipients who use Office 365 never receive emails sent from Bigin. Further examination showed that all Email Insights links in email headers are marked as spam/phishing by Office 365. Example screen included. The problem is

    • Data Import | Zoho Analytics Custom Query Window Size

      Please increase the window size for the Custom Query Data Import. It's impossible to work with such a small query window.

    • Name changed in settings for mailbox but still not changed when typed in To field

      In the email account secretary@ i have updaetd the new staff members details but the old members name still appears when I type secretary@ in the To field. I cant work out where Zoho is finding the old name from. I have deleted the browser cache. If I

    • Next Page