What is Stage Distribution?
Stage distribution is the profile of your pipeline: where the deals and dollars actually sit across the stages.
Its shape is diagnostic. A pipeline bunched at one end is telling you something about both your current quarter and the ones after it.
Short answer
Stage distribution is how your pipeline's deals and value are spread across the stages, from early to late. The shape tells a story: bottom-heavy with mostly early deals warns of a future-heavy but currently thin pipeline, while top-heavy with mostly late deals will close now but risks a coming drought. A healthy distribution has volume flowing through every stage.
Key takeaways
- How deals and value spread across stages.
- Bottom-heavy warns of thin current pipeline.
- Top-heavy warns of a future drought.
- Healthy distribution flows through every stage.
Why it matters
Stage distribution reveals whether your pipeline is balanced for both now and later. A shape skewed to one end predicts either a current-period gap or a future one, both fixable if seen early.
How Ardovo handles it
Ardovo visualizes stage distribution by value and count over time, so Rook can flag a top-heavy or bottom-heavy shape and warn when the profile predicts a current or future revenue gap.
Frequently asked questions
What is stage distribution?
It is how your pipeline's deals and value spread across the stages, from early to late. The shape signals risk: bottom-heavy means thin current pipeline, top-heavy means a possible future drought, and balanced means volume flowing through every stage.
What does a top-heavy pipeline mean?
That most value sits in late stages. It will close well this period but, if early stages are thin, warns of a coming drought once those late deals resolve. It is a signal to increase pipeline generation now.
What does a bottom-heavy pipeline mean?
That most value sits in early stages with little near close. Future potential looks strong, but the current period may fall short. It signals a need to advance early deals and rely on other pipeline for the near-term number.