What is Open Pipeline?
Open pipeline is the simplest pipeline metric: add up the amounts of every deal still in play. It answers "how much are we working right now."
Its simplicity is also its trap. Raw open pipeline includes long shots and stale deals, so it always looks healthier than the revenue that will actually close.
Short answer
Open pipeline is the combined value of every active deal that has not yet closed won or lost. It is the raw, unweighted pool of potential revenue in progress. Leaders use it as the starting point for coverage and weighted-forecast math, but on its own it overstates likely bookings because it treats every deal as equally certain.
Key takeaways
- Total value of all active, unclosed deals.
- Unweighted, so it overstates likely bookings.
- The base for coverage and weighted-forecast math.
- Should be filtered to qualified, in-period deals to be useful.
Why it matters
Open pipeline is the input to almost every pipeline metric, but taken raw it misleads. Filtering it to qualified, in-period deals is what turns a vanity number into a real read on coverage.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo shows open pipeline filtered by qualification, stage, and close period, so Rook reports the pipeline that actually matters for the current number instead of a padded total.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as open pipeline?
Every deal that is still active, meaning not yet closed won or closed lost. It is the raw, unweighted value of all work in progress, before any probability or qualification filter is applied.
Why is raw open pipeline misleading?
Because it treats a brand-new long shot the same as a deal about to sign, and it often includes stale or unqualified deals. Filtered to qualified, in-period deals it becomes meaningful; raw, it overstates reality.
How is open pipeline different from weighted pipeline?
Open pipeline is the raw sum of deal values. Weighted pipeline discounts each deal by its close probability, producing a more realistic, risk-adjusted number.