Pipeline Analyzer

When to activate

Run weekly (every Monday) before leadership update, or on-demand when pipeline visibility needed. Requires access to CRM export or API feed with deal records, stage history, and close dates.

When NOT to use

Not for historical trend analysis—use deal-velocity-analyzer instead. Not for individual rep performance—use quota-tracker. Not without current CRM data; stale snapshots produce inaccurate insights.

Pipeline Health Checklist

Execute in sequence. Mark each complete before moving next.

1. Data validation — Verify CRM export timestamp (<24 hours old). Count total open deals, total pipeline value. Flag if counts differ from last week by >15% (data quality check).
2. Stage breakdown — Categorize deals by sales stage (e.g., Prospecting, Qualification, Proposal, Negotiation, Closed-Won, Closed-Lost). Calculate count and value per stage.
3. Age analysis — For each deal, calculate days in current stage (today minus last stage change date). Flag deals aged >30 days in same stage as stalled.
4. Forecast accuracy — Compare pipeline value by stage vs. historical conversion rates. Multiply each stage value by win rate; sum for projected close value. Compare to submitted forecast and prior month actual close.
5. Conversion rate trending — Calculate stage-to-stage conversion (% of deals that progressed from stage N to stage N+1 in past 30 days). Compare to 90-day rolling average.
6. Deal risk scoring — For deals >$50K, assess: buyer committee health (known vs. unknown stakeholders), competitive threats (disclosed), close probability (rep-submitted). Flag as high-risk if <50% probability.
7. Quota pacing — Compare month-to-date close value vs. pro-rata monthly target. Calculate daily run rate needed to hit target. Surface shortfall forecast.

Pipeline Health Metrics

Calculate and report these seven metrics:

Pipeline Coverage Ratio = Total open pipeline value / annual quota target. Target: 3.5:1 to 4.5:1. Red flag: <3:1 (quota miss risk) or >6:1 (stalled pipeline).

Average Deal Age per Stage = Sum of (days in stage for all deals) / count of deals in stage. Benchmark by stage. Red flag if >30 days in same stage.

Stage Conversion Rate = Count of deals progressing stage → stage in past 30 days / count of deals in source stage at start of period. Expected: 40–60% depending on industry and stage.

Weighted Forecast Health = Projected close value (sum of stage values × historical win rate) / submitted forecast. Confidence level: >1.0 = conservative, <0.9 = aggressive. Target: 0.95–1.05.

At-Risk Deal Count = Count of deals with close probability <50% or aged >30 days. Separate by stage. Flag for manager re-engagement.

Sales Cycle Trending = Average days from first opportunity creation to close, by deal size cohort. Compare to 90-day rolling average. Red flag if trending +20% (slowing cycle).

Quota Attainment Forecast = (YTD closed value + projected month close) / YTD + 1-month quota target. Forecast if trending team misses quarter, trigger escalation.

Output Format

Save as reports/pipeline-snapshot-{YYYY-MM-DD}.md. Use template:

# Pipeline Health Snapshot — {Date}

**Report Period:** {Start date} to {End date}  
**Data Refresh:** {Timestamp of CRM export}  
**Prepared by:** [Name]

---

## Executive Summary

{1 sentence on overall health: Green / Yellow / Red}  
{Top 2–3 findings: risks, opportunities, actions}  
{Forecast accuracy vs. plan}

---

## Pipeline Overview

| Metric | Value | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Open Deals | {N} | — | {Green/Yellow/Red} |
| Total Pipeline Value | ${} | ${3.5x quota} | {Green/Yellow/Red} |
| Pipeline Coverage Ratio | {#}:1 | 3.5:1–4.5:1 | {Green/Yellow/Red} |
| Weighted Forecast Health | {%} | 95–105% | {Green/Yellow/Red} |

---

## Stage Breakdown

| Stage | Count | Value | Avg Age | Win Rate | At Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prospecting | {N} | ${} | {D} days | {%} | {N} |
| Qualification | {N} | ${} | {D} days | {%} | {N} |
| Proposal | {N} | ${} | {D} days | {%} | {N} |
| Negotiation | {N} | ${} | {D} days | {%} | {N} |
| **Total** | **{N}** | **${}** | — | — | **{N}** |

---

## At-Risk Deals (Stalled >30 days or <50% close probability)

| Deal | Company | Stage | Age | Probability | Owner | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| {ID} | {Name} | {Stage} | {D} days | {%} | {Rep} | Re-engage buyer / escalate to champion |

---

## Sales Cycle Trending

Average cycle time (Opportunity Created → Close): {N} days  
90-day rolling average: {N} days  
Trend: {+/- %} vs. baseline  
Status: {Green/Yellow/Red — flag if >20% increase}

---

## Quota Pacing

**Month-to-date closed:** ${} (vs. pro-rata target of ${})  
**Forecast for month-end:** ${} (based on deal stage × win rate)  
**Variance vs. target:** {+/- %}  
**Forecast confidence:** {High/Medium/Low}

---

## Conversion Rate Trending (30-day)

| Transition | Conversion | 90-Day Avg | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prospecting → Qualification | {%} | {%} | {+/- %} |
| Qualification → Proposal | {%} | {%} | {+/- %} |
| Proposal → Negotiation | {%} | {%} | {+/- %} |
| Negotiation → Close | {%} | {%} | {+/- %} |

---

## Recommended Actions

- {Action 1: Specific deal escalation or re-engagement}
- {Action 2: Process or messaging fix}
- {Action 3: Forecast/capacity adjustment}

**Next Review:** {Date}

Example

Pipeline Health Snapshot — 2026-06-10

Report Period: 2026-06-03 to 2026-06-10
Data Refresh: 2026-06-10 09:00 UTC
Prepared by: Sales Ops

Executive Summary

Status: YELLOW — Pipeline healthy overall, but two large deals (>$100K) showing age concerns and buyer committee gaps.

Key Findings:

• Negotiation stage aging 35+ days (above 30-day threshold); requires champion escalation for two deals
• Forecast accuracy trending 92% vs. submitted 95%; conservative estimate suggests 94% attainment vs. commit
• Win rate in Proposal stage declined from 48% to 41% in past 30 days; possible product/pricing messaging issue

Pipeline Overview

Stage Breakdown

At-Risk Deals (Stalled >30 days or <50% close probability)

Sales Cycle Trending

Average cycle time (Opportunity Created → Close): 62 days
90-day rolling average: 58 days
Trend: +7% vs. baseline
Status: Yellow — Slight increase; monitor for bottleneck in Proposal stage

Quota Pacing

Month-to-date closed: $320K (vs. pro-rata target of $366K per week for $1.1M monthly quota)
Forecast for month-end: $940K (based on deal stage × win rate)
Variance vs. target: -14% vs. commit forecast
Forecast confidence: Medium — Dependent on 2 large deals (>$100K) closing on time

Conversion Rate Trending (30-day)

Recommended Actions

• Immediate: Schedule exec sponsor intro for OPP-2847 (Acme Corp); without buyer champion escalation, deal at risk of slipping to Q3
• This week: Sales manager coaching on Proposal stage messaging; win rate decline suggests product positioning or competitor differentiation gap
• Weekly: Monitor cycle time trend; if continues +20%, audit sales process for approval delays or capability gaps
• Monthly forecast: Adjust commit to 94% coverage based on weighted forecast; surface to finance for revenue recognition review

Next Review: 2026-06-17