- Features > Approval Workflows
Approval Workflows
Automate approval routing for configurations, pricing changes, and quotes. Define who approves what based on type, value, and risk — and ensure nothing bypasses review when it should not.
Any object
Quotes, configs, pricing — all covered
Rule-driven
No manual routing decisions required
Full audit
Every decision logged and attributable
The Challenge
Approval Processes Across the CPQ Workflow Are Ad Hoc
CPQ processes involve many decisions that benefit from structured review — not just quote approval, but configuration changes to live products, pricing rule updates, new customer-specific rate agreements, and template modifications. Most organisations manage these through informal email chains or verbal sign-off processes.
The consequence of informal approval processes is inconsistent governance. Some changes go through rigorous review; similar changes in a different context bypass review entirely. The outcome depends on who is involved, how busy they are, and how well they understand the policy.
When errors or policy violations occur — a pricing change that was not reviewed, a configuration template modified without approval — investigating what happened requires searching through email histories and interviewing people who may not remember the context.
For manufacturers operating in regulated industries or under quality management systems, informal approval processes create compliance exposure. Evidence of controlled review processes is required — but systems to produce that evidence reliably do not exist.
How It Works
How Approval Workflows Work in Mercura
Mercura's approval workflow engine applies to all objects in the CPQ system — quotes, pricing rules, configuration templates, and product catalog changes. Each object type can be configured with its own approval rules: who is required to review, under what conditions, and in what order. When a change triggers an approval condition, the workflow engine automatically creates an approval task, notifies the designated approver, and prevents the change from taking effect until the required review is completed. Approvers can review changes with full context — seeing exactly what changed, what the impact is, and who requested it — before approving or rejecting.
What's Included
Key Capabilities
- Approval workflows for quotes, pricing changes, configuration updates, and catalog modifications
- Configurable approval rules per object type and change category
- Multi-level and parallel approval chains supported
- Change preview — approvers see exactly what will change before approving
- Approval delegation and timeout handling
- Integration with enterprise identity systems for approver assignment
- Full approval history searchable by object, date, approver, and outcome
- Compliance reporting — evidence of controlled review for quality and audit purposes
The Difference
Before and After Approval Workflows
- Configuration and pricing changes approved informally — inconsistent governance
- No system enforcement — changes take effect before review when timing is tight
- Evidence of review unavailable — compliance audit findings result
- Investigation of errors requires searching email and interviewing people
- No visibility into pending approvals across the organisation
- All significant changes routed through structured review — governance consistent
- Changes cannot take effect without required approvals — policy enforced automatically
- Full approval evidence generated automatically — compliance audit ready
- Any change traceable in seconds through the approval log
- Pending approvals visible to managers — bottlenecks identified and cleared
Real-World Application
Example Use Case: Medical Device Component Manufacturer
A medical device component manufacturer operating under ISO 13485 required documented evidence of review for any change to product configuration rules or pricing. Previously, changes were emailed to a review committee, and email confirmation served as the approval record. An external audit found the process inadequate — review records were incomplete, reviewer identities were not always clear, and there was no systematic way to verify that all required reviewers had confirmed. After implementing Mercura's approval workflows, every configuration and pricing change generated a structured approval record with reviewer identity, timestamp, and outcome automatically. The subsequent external audit found the approval documentation complete and acceptable — passing without findings for the first time in three audit cycles.
Quote turnaround dropped from 3 days to under 4 hours.
Business Impact
Why Approval Workflows Matter
Approval workflows are the mechanism through which governance policy becomes operational reality. They ensure that the people who are supposed to review changes actually review them, that the review happens before the change takes effect, and that evidence of the review is captured automatically. For manufacturers where quality, compliance, or commercial risk management is a priority, structured approval workflows are not overhead — they are infrastructure.
Govern Every Change in Your CPQ System
Book a demo to see how Mercura applies structured approval workflows across your entire CPQ workflow.
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