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Step one: define the trigger and the quote
Start by deciding what makes a quote need review. Take a wholesale supplier whose reps may discount freely up to ten percent. Anything above that, or any quote over a set total, triggers approval. Write the trigger as a plain sentence a rep could repeat from memory. Then list the fields a reviewer must see: customer, items, margin, requested discount and delivery terms. If a reviewer has to ask for context, the workflow has already failed. Keep the first version to one or two triggers so exceptions do not multiply before you have seen real usage.
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Step two: assign reviewers and response windows
Next, name who reviews and how long they have. In the supplier example, a sales manager handles discounts up to twenty percent within four business hours, while deeper discounts go to finance within one day. Add a fallback reviewer for absences, because stalled approvals are the usual hidden cost. Decide what a reviewer can do: approve, reject with a reason, or send back with a requested change. Each outcome should return to the rep with a clear message. Avoid vague roles such as leadership; use named positions so the system can route without someone interpreting intent each time.
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Step three: close the loop to order and follow-up
Finally, decide what happens after approval. The approved quote should reach the customer in a clean format, record an expiry date and create a reminder if there is no reply. When the customer accepts, the data should pass to order entry without retyping prices. In the supplier example, the rep receives a nudge after three days and the quote expires after thirty. Review a sample of completed quotes monthly: time in approval, rejection reasons, expired quotes. Those figures show whether triggers are too strict, reviewers are overloaded or the handoff to orders needs adjusting.