---
title: "Approvals and workflows that follow your process"
description: "Approval workflow software inside 1flux: route quotations by amount, stop skipped steps and approve or reject from one inbox. Set it all up without code."
url: https://1flux.ai/platform/workflows-and-approvals
last_updated: 2026-10-11
---

Workflows and approvals

# Approvals and workflows that follow your process

1flux has approval workflow software built in: decide who owns each stage, what must be done before a move, who approves and what happens next. No code.

## In short

1flux lets admins add rules to each stage of a deal, quotation, sales order or task, under **Settings → Workflows**, without code. A stage can assign an owner, set an allowed time, require fields or checklist items, ask for approval from any, all or a quorum of approvers, and run automations. Quotation approvals can target amount bands. Approvers decide from one **Approvals** inbox, and every move, send-back and decision stays on the record's history.

Quotations above your approval band wait for the head of sales. Approved PDFs lock.

View as text

1. A salesperson submits quotation QT-2026-00118 for AED 63,000.00 (AED 60,000.00 plus 5% VAT) for approval.
2. It waits for the head of sales, Tariq Mahmoud, because it is above the 50,000 approval band. Until it is approved, it cannot be emailed, shared on WhatsApp or sent as a link.
3. Tariq approves it. The quotation is Approved, and its PDF is frozen and locked: the same file is emailed, shown on the customer link and downloaded.

The problem

## The problem: process that lives in people’s heads

Most growing B2B companies have a process. It just isn’t written into the system:

- Large quotations and deep discounts go out before anyone senior has seen them.
- Approvals happen in WhatsApp threads, so nobody can say later who agreed to what.
- Salespeople skip steps: a deal marked won with no quotation, a lost deal with no reason.
- Nobody knows who owns a record now, or how long it has sat in one stage.

A process only holds when the system enforces it on every move, for every person.

A deal can't enter Proposal until its requirements are met. The board checks every move.

View as text

1. Imran Raza drags the deal "Chilled water pumps" from Qualified towards Proposal.
2. The board rolls the card back and opens "This stage change needs attention". The Proposal stage has two requirements to complete: a deal value and the checklist item "Site survey done".
3. Imran adds the deal value, AED 186,000, and marks the checklist item done.
4. The deal moves to Proposal, and the column counts and totals update. Every move on the board runs the same stage rules.

Four kinds of record

## Which records can you put a workflow on?

1flux workflows apply to four kinds of record: **deals**, **quotations**, **sales orders** and **tasks**, with a separate workflow for each task type.

| Record                | What you’d typically set                                                                                                            |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Deals                 | Required fields before a stage, forward-only stages, a reason when a deal is lost                                                   |
| Quotations            | Approval by amount band before a quotation can be sent, assignment to whoever prepares it                                           |
| Sales orders          | Allowed time per stage, notifications and linked tasks. Their stages follow the documents, so the board moves when the documents do |
| Tasks (per task type) | Their own stages, checklists, approvals and service levels, for example on a submittal request                                      |

What teams typically set on each kind of record.

Purchasing, receiving and accounting have their own built-in approval steps: a requisition goes for approval, a goods received note checked with comments waits for an approver, and preparing and posting journals are separate permissions. See [access control](https://1flux.ai/platform/access-control) for those permission lanes.

Stage rules

## What can you set on each stage?

Each stage has five rules, plus transition rules for the whole workflow. Anything left unset keeps working as it does today.

- **Assignment** sets the owner: **Leave unchanged**, **Acting user**, **Fixed member**, **Round robin** or **Role round robin**. It runs when a record enters the stage, and when a quotation or task is created.
- **Service level** is the allowed hours in the stage. Records show badges such as “3h left” or “overdue”.
- **Entry criteria** are required fields, including your custom fields, and checklist items. A move is blocked until they’re complete, and 1flux lists what’s missing.
- **Approval:** moving into the stage needs approval from **Any approver**, **All approvers** or a **Quorum**. On rejection, keep the record where it is or send it back to a chosen stage. Quotation rules can set a **Minimum total** and **Maximum total**.
- **Automations** run after entering or before leaving the stage: **Send a notification** (in-app, with optional email), **Create a linked task** or **Update a field**.
- **Transition rules** block specific stage-to-stage moves, require a reason, or make stages **Forward-only**. A reason is always required for lost, cancelled or declined.

Automation messages and task titles can use template variables such as `{reference}`, `{stageName}` and `{ownerName}`. Each automation runs on its own, so a failed action never undoes the stage move, and admins are told about the failure.

Every stage carries the same five rules, plus transition rules for the whole workflow. Leave any of them unset.

How it works

## How does approval workflow software work in 1flux?

In 1flux, an approval is a gate on a stage. Here's what happens when a salesperson submits a large quotation.

1. ### The move becomes a request

   Moving a record into a gated stage creates an [approval workflow](https://1flux.ai/glossary/approval-workflow) request instead of moving it. For quotations, **Submit for approval** checks the amount-band rules; if none match, the quotation goes straight to **Approved**.

2. ### Approvers are told

   The chosen approvers get an in-app notification and an email. The approver list is fixed when the request is made, so changing a rule later doesn’t change who decides a pending request.

3. ### They decide

   Each approver opens the request from the **Approvals** inbox, or from the **Workflow health** panel on the record, and chooses **Approve** or **Reject**. A rejection needs a reason.

4. ### The rule settles it

   Under **Any approver**, the first approval is enough. **All approvers** needs everyone. A **Quorum** needs the number you set.

5. ### The record moves, or goes back

   Approved, the record enters the stage. Rejected, it stays put or goes back to the stage you chose, with the reason on its history. A rejected quotation returns to Draft.

6. ### Sending waits

   A quotation that needs approval can’t be sent to the customer until it’s approved.

Example Quotation approval by total

1. Up to USD 15,000 Approved straight away No rule matches
2. USD 15,000 to USD 75,000 One sales manager Any approver
3. Above USD 75,000 Two of three directors Quorum: 2 of 3

Example bands. Each band is one approval step with its own approvers.

Approvals inbox

## One approvals inbox for every decision

Every pending decision sits in one place. **Approvals** in the sidebar shows a count of requests waiting for you, and the notification inbox repeats it.

- **Show** switches between **Mine** (waiting on your decision) and **Requested** (the ones you asked for).
- Search, and filter by type: deal, quotation or task.
- Each row shows the record, who requested it and when, the stage change and progress (“2 of 3”).
- The preview shows the move (from → to), the requester’s note, each approver’s vote (**Approved**, **Rejected** or **Waiting**) and the rule in plain words.

Requests and decisions are also sent by email, so approvers who live in their inbox don’t miss them.

Every request waiting for you, in one list. Open one to see the move, the note and each approver’s vote.

Service levels

## See at a glance which records are running late

A [service level](https://1flux.ai/glossary/service-level-agreement) is the time a record may spend in a stage. 1flux shows it on the work itself:

- badges on records, such as “3h left” or “20m overdue”, with a **Stage SLA** progress bar;
- **SLA at risk** and **SLA breached** badges on the sales order board;
- the time spent in each stage on deal and task histories.

The clock starts the moment a record enters the stage.

The time left in a stage shows on the record and on the board, so late work is visible without a report.

History

## Every move and decision stays on the record

1flux keeps a full history alongside each record:

- every stage move, with its type (normal, send back, rejection, approval or override) and the reason given;
- each approval decision;
- an **Automation runs** log, with an “N failed” badge when something needs attention;
- changes of assignee.

Deal and task timelines show **Sent back**, **Rejected**, **Approved** and **Override** in plain words.

Moves, send-backs and approvals stay on the record, with who, when and why.

Set-up

## How do you set up a workflow?

Workflows live under Settings → Workflows. Add rules one stage at a time; a workflow with no rules keeps working as before.

1. ### Pick a record type

   In **Workflow for**, choose Deals, Quotations, Sales orders or one of your task types.

2. ### Set the stage rules

   On **Stage rules**, set **Assignment on creation** (quotations and tasks; deals are assigned when they enter a stage), then open each stage’s tiles.

3. ### Configure transitions

   On **Transitions**, use **Configure transitions** to block moves or require reasons.

4. ### Save

   People without manage rights see the rules read-only: “You can view these rules”.

5. ### Check the runs

   Look at **Automation runs** after the first few days.

Stages themselves are configured with the record: [deal stages](https://1flux.ai/glossary/deal-stage) under deal settings, and task stages in each task type.

One flow

## Connected to the rest of 1flux

Workflow rules run on the records your teams already use, from the first deal to the last task.

1. Workflows and approvals Rules on every stage
2. [Deal pipeline](https://1flux.ai/products/crm/deal-pipeline) Request quotation
3. [Quotations](https://1flux.ai/products/quotations) Accepted → order request
4. [Sales orders](https://1flux.ai/products/sales-orders) Follow-up tasks
5. [Tasks](https://1flux.ai/products/tasks)

- **Quotations:** amount-band approvals, send gating and assignment of who prepares the quote. See [1flux Quotations](https://1flux.ai/products/quotations).
- **Deals:** required fields, forward-only stages and loss reasons on the [deal pipeline](https://1flux.ai/products/crm/deal-pipeline). Every drag on the board runs the rules.
- **Sales orders:** service levels and follow-up automations on [sales orders and fulfilment](https://1flux.ai/products/sales-orders).
- **Tasks:** a workflow per task type, with stage checklists. See [1flux Tasks](https://1flux.ai/products/tasks), and [no-code configuration](https://1flux.ai/platform/no-code-configuration) for task types.

Who it’s for

## Who are 1flux workflows for?

Anyone who needs a process to hold on every move, without commissioning custom code.

- ### Sales heads

  Who want discount and large-quote sign-off without chasing it on WhatsApp.

- ### Operations managers

  Who need every order and request owned, and visibly late when it’s late.

- ### Directors and finance approvers

  Who want one place to decide, with the context in front of them.

- ### Admins

  Who’d rather configure a process than commission custom code.

FAQ

## Questions, answered

Still deciding? [Talk to sales](https://1flux.ai/contact)

### Can 1flux route quotations for approval by amount?

Yes. In 1flux, quotation approval rules can target amount bands with a minimum and maximum total, and each band can need any, all or a quorum of the approvers you choose. **Submit for approval** checks the rules. If one matches, the approvers are notified and the quotation can't be sent until it's approved. If none match, the quotation is approved straight away.

### Can I stop salespeople skipping stages?

Yes. In 1flux you can make stages forward-only, block specific moves, and require fields or checklist items before a record enters a stage. A blocked move tells the person exactly what's missing. A reason is always required when a deal is lost or a record is cancelled or declined, and every move is kept on the record's history.

### Can admins set up workflows without a developer?

Yes. 1flux workflows are configured in **Settings → Workflows** by anyone with permission to manage them. You pick a record type, then set assignment, service level, entry criteria, approval and automations per stage, and transition rules for the whole workflow. A workflow with no rules keeps working as before, so you can add rules one stage at a time.

### How does 1flux show which records are running late?

1flux shows service levels on the records themselves. Each stage can have an allowed time, and records carry badges such as "3h left" or "overdue" with a **Stage SLA** progress bar. The sales order board adds **SLA at risk** and **SLA breached** badges, and deal and task histories show the time spent in each stage, so you see at a glance which records are running late.

### What can a workflow automation do?

1flux workflow automations run after a record enters a stage or before it leaves one. Each can send a notification in the app, with optional email, create a linked task or update a field. Messages and task titles can use template variables for the record's reference, the stage name and the owner's name, so every notification says exactly which record it's about.

### What happens if an automation fails?

1flux still makes the stage move. Each automation action runs on its own, so a failed notification, task or field update never undoes the move. Admins are alerted, and the **Automation runs** tab shows each run with an "N failed" badge, so you can see what went wrong and fix the rule.

### How are purchases approved in 1flux?

1flux Purchasing has its own built-in approval steps. A requisition goes to an approver before it moves on, a goods received note checked with comments waits for an approver, and separate permissions cover requesting, approving, awarding, issuing and adding prices. In accounting, preparing a journal and posting it are separate permissions too.

### Can I see who approved a record and when?

Yes. 1flux keeps the full history on each record: every stage move with its type and reason, each approval decision, and every override and send-back. Deal and task timelines show **Sent back**, **Rejected**, **Approved** and **Override** in plain words, and the **Automation runs** log shows what each rule did.

Related

## Keep exploring

### [Quotations](https://1flux.ai/products/quotations)

Quotes from your catalogue or a customer's PO, approved, locked and sent.

### [Deal pipeline](https://1flux.ai/products/crm/deal-pipeline)

A monthly deal board with stage rules, approvals and lost reasons.

### [Sales orders](https://1flux.ai/products/sales-orders)

Customer POs to orders, deliveries, invoices and payments, on one board.

### [Tasks](https://1flux.ai/products/tasks)

Typed tasks with their own stages, linked to deals, projects and quotations.

### [Roles, permissions and audit](https://1flux.ai/platform/access-control)

Custom roles, record visibility along reporting lines, entity access and row-level security.

### [Custom fields, rules and numbering](https://1flux.ai/platform/no-code-configuration)

Custom fields, validation rules, numbering and task types, set in settings without code.

Last updated 11 October 2026