Pipelines

Pipelines define the stages that Deals and Contacts move through during your sales process. Configure pipelines to match your unique sales methodology.

Overview

A pipeline is a visual representation of your sales process. Each pipeline contains ordered stages that records progress through from initial contact to close. Pipelines support contact lifecycle tracking and deal progression.

Related Modules:

• Deals - Opportunities in deal pipelines
• Contacts - Contacts in contact lifecycle pipelines
• Settings - Pipeline configuration
• Reports - Pipeline analytics

Pipeline Structure

Pipeline (module: deals)
  ├── Stage 1: Discovery
  ├── Stage 2: Qualification
  ├── Stage 3: Proposal
  ├── Stage 4: Negotiation
  ├── Stage 5: Won ✓
  └── Stage 6: Lost ✗

Pipeline Modules

Pipelines serve two modules:

Module	Description
Deals	Pipeline stages for deal progression
Contacts	Pipeline stages for contact qualification

Each module can have multiple pipelines. A contact or deal belongs to one pipeline at a time.

Stages

Stage Fields

Field	Description
Name	Stage name (unique per pipeline)
Order	Position in the pipeline
Is Won	Marks this as the won/closed stage
Is Lost	Marks this as the lost stage

Stage Types

Type	Description
Normal	Standard stage in your process
Won	Marks successful closure (one per pipeline)
Lost	Marks unsuccessful outcome (one per pipeline)

Reordering Stages

Drag and drop stages to reorder them in the pipeline settings. Won and Lost stages should be at the end.

Transition Modes

Free Mode

• Records can move to any stage
• No restrictions on stage movement
• Maximum flexibility

Strict Mode

• Admin-defined transition paths control allowed movements
• Only configured transitions are permitted
• Enforces sales process compliance

Configuring Transitions

In strict mode, administrators define which stage-to-stage transitions are allowed:

1. Go to Settings > Pipelines
2. Select the pipeline
3. Set transition mode to Strict
4. Define allowed transitions (e.g., Discovery → Qualification, Qualification → Proposal)
5. Transitions not configured are blocked

Stage Required Fields

Stages can require specific custom fields to be filled before a record can enter that stage:

1. Go to Settings > Pipelines
2. Select a stage
3. Configure Required Fields
4. Select which custom fields must be filled
5. When moving to this stage, the system validates all required fields

This ensures data quality at each step of the process.

Pipeline Views

Board View (Kanban)

Visual kanban-style view:

• Columns represent stages
• Record cards in each column
• Drag and drop to move between stages
• Shows value totals per stage (for deals)

List View

Table format with filtering:

• All records in sortable list
• Stage shown as column
• Bulk actions available

Managing Pipelines

Creating a Pipeline

1. Go to Settings > Pipelines
2. Click New Pipeline
3. Enter pipeline name
4. Select module (Deals or Contacts)
5. Define stages in order
6. Mark one stage as “Won” and one as “Lost” (for deal pipelines)
7. Save

Editing Stages

1. Open pipeline settings
2. Click on a stage to edit
3. Modify name or order
4. Save changes

Multiple Pipelines

Organizations can have multiple pipelines for:

• Different products/services
• Different sales processes
• Different team workflows
• Different customer segments

Pipeline Probability

For deal pipelines, each stage has an associated probability:

Weighted Value = Deal Amount × Stage Probability

Example: $10,000 deal at 50% stage = $5,000 weighted value

Pipeline Reporting

Track pipeline performance in Reports:

• Pipeline Value - Total value by stage
• Stage Velocity - Average time in each stage
• Conversion Rates - Movement between stages
• Stage Distribution - Record count by stage
• Weighted Pipeline - Probability-adjusted value

Best Practices

1. Keep it simple - 4-7 stages is optimal
2. Define clear criteria - What must happen at each stage
3. Use strict mode - For process compliance when needed
4. Set required fields - Ensure data quality at each stage
5. Match your process - Reflect how you actually sell
6. Separate by module - Use contact lifecycle pipelines for qualification, deal pipelines for closing
7. Review regularly - Adjust based on performance data

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See Also:

• Deals - Manage opportunities
• Contacts - Contact qualification stages
• Reports - Pipeline analytics
• Settings - Pipeline configuration