How to Prepare a Quote Request Workflow

The Quote Request Workflow

After a customer sends a quote request, send a clear response. Tell the customer when your team will send the quote. A workflow is a set of steps for this task. Make sure that your team gets the request. Send it to the correct person. Set a time for the response.

Without a workflow, requests can stay in a mailbox and get no response. A clear workflow helps your team send a response before the time limit. It also helps the customer know the steps after they send the form.

This guide is for small businesses in Canada. Use it to prepare the confirmation message, the tasks for your team, and the time for a response.

Sources: [1], [7]

Step One: Send a Confirmation

A confirmation message can show that a customer sent the quote request form.

Show the message immediately after the customer sends the form. If your system can send a confirmation email, give the customer the same response time in that email. Set a time that gives your team time to prepare the quote. Make sure that each person knows that response time.

Before you start, do a check of the form with different screen dimensions.

Use the information in these steps:

• After the customer sends the form, show a clear message on the screen.
• Give the customer the response time and instructions for the response email.
• Before you use the confirmation email, do a check with your team.

Sources: [3], [7]

Step Two: Send the Request to the Correct Person

You can keep messages and other mail folders in one mail folder.

An automated cloud flow can start when you get an email.

Send each request to the person who has the task. For a small team, a mail rule can be a start. If requests go to different teams or locations, use a mail folder for each team.

Use the information in these steps:

• Use a mail folder to put requests into groups for each type or location.
• Set a rule to send requests to the correct person.
• Give a person the task to examine each mail folder.

Sources: [5], [8]

Step Three: Set Response Times

Give a clear response time in your confirmation message. Use the same response time in your team workflow.

For example, tell the customer that your team will send a response in 48 hours or less. Set a time that gives your team time to prepare the quote. If requests get no response before the time limit, tell the person who has the task. Examine the time limit with that person before you use an automation.

A scheduled cloud flow starts an automation at a time you set.

Use the information in these steps:

• Give a time for a response in the confirmation email.
• Give the customer instructions for requests that get no response.
• Use a scheduled cloud flow for a task that you do at a set time.

Sources: [7], [8]

Make Forms Easy to Use

A good form is easy to complete. Put instructions near each field. The customer then knows the information to give.

Placeholder text can give an example. Use a field name for each field. Some screen readers do not read placeholder text.

If the customer makes an error, show a clear message with instructions to correct the error. Put the error message near the field to make it easy to find.

Use the information in these steps:

• Put instructions in the field name or near the field.
• Use placeholder text only as an example, not as a field name.
• Make sure error messages are clear and easy to find.

Sources: [4], [6]

When to Use Other Instructions

This guide gives steps for a small team. If you use Dynamics 365 Sales, use its documentation for sales quotes.

If your team has many requests, give each person time to send the response. Give each task to a person.

If your business has no workflow, use the steps in this guide. For a small team, a person can send each message. After your team does a check of a task, use automation for that task.

Sources: [2], [8]

Steps for Your Team

Record each step in your workflow. Use this worksheet to show each step and its time limit. Record the person who has each task. Give each task to a person who can send the response before the time limit.

Examine your workflow each month. Find steps that are too long or requests that get no response. Adjust the time limits or rules as you find necessary.

For more information about mail folders, rules, or cloud flows, contact your web developer or email administrator.

Use the information in these steps:

• Record each step, the person who has the task, and the time limit.
• Do a check of the workflow with an example request.
• Keep a record of each change and the date.

Sources: [4], [7], [8]

Sources and checks

1. <form> HTML form element - HTML | MDN
   Source checked 2026-10-18
2. Create or edit quotes in Dynamics 365 Sales | Microsoft Learn
   Source checked 2026-10-18
3. Payment form best practices codelab | Articles | web.dev
   Source checked 2026-10-18
4. Form Instructions | Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) | W3C
   Source checked 2026-10-18
5. mailFolder resource type - Microsoft Graph v1.0 | Microsoft Learn
   Source checked 2026-10-18
6. Payment and address form best practices | web.dev
   Source checked 2026-10-18
7. User Notification | Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) | W3C
   Source checked 2026-10-18
8. Overview of cloud flows - Power Automate | Microsoft Learn
   Source checked 2026-10-18

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