How to calculate total pipeline value
Total pipeline value is the simplest pipeline metric: the raw sum of open deal amounts. It is a starting point for coverage and forecasting, but on its own it flatters reality.
Two disciplines make it useful: weighting by win probability to estimate likely revenue, and hygiene to remove stale zombie deals that inflate the number without any chance of closing.
- Sum of open deals The formula
- Weight for realism Raw overstates
- Remove zombies Hygiene matters
Short answer
Total pipeline value is the sum of the amounts of all open deals in the pipeline. Add the value of every opportunity that is not yet won or lost. If you have 40 open deals totaling 8,000,000 dollars, that is your total pipeline value. Raw pipeline overstates likely revenue, so weight it by probability and keep it free of stale deals.
Step by step
Identify all open deals
Take every opportunity that is not yet closed won or lost. Decide whether to include all close dates or only those in the period.
Sum their amounts
Add the deal amounts to get total (raw) pipeline value.
Clean out stale deals
Remove or close-lost deals with no activity for weeks, since they inflate pipeline without a real chance of closing.
Weight for a realistic view
Multiply each deal by its win probability to get weighted pipeline, a more realistic estimate than the raw total for forecasting and coverage.
Worked example
You have 50 open deals summing to 10,000,000 dollars of raw pipeline. But 12 of them, worth 3,000,000 dollars, have had no activity in 45 days.
After closing those zombies, real open pipeline is 7,000,000 dollars. Weighted by stage probability, the expected value might be 2,500,000 dollars. The raw 10,000,000 dollar figure would have badly overstated both coverage and forecast.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo shows raw, cleaned, and weighted pipeline, flagging stale deals automatically so the number reflects reality. Rook keeps the pipeline clean by surfacing zombies and updating stages from activity, so total pipeline value stays trustworthy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the total pipeline value formula?
The sum of the amounts of all open deals not yet won or lost. It is the raw pipeline figure, a starting point for coverage and forecasting that should be weighted by probability and cleaned of stale deals to be useful.
Why is raw pipeline value misleading?
Because it treats a brand-new deal and a near-closed deal as equal and often includes stale zombie deals that will never close. Weighting by win probability and removing stale deals gives a realistic view of likely revenue.
What is the difference between total and weighted pipeline?
Total pipeline is the raw sum of open deal amounts. Weighted pipeline multiplies each deal by its win probability, producing a risk-adjusted estimate that is far more realistic for forecasting and coverage math.