To the cynical onlooker the terms Forecast Analysis and Pipeline Analysis can seem like an oxymoron. There doesn’t seem to be too much analysis in areas which are the product of subjectivity, conservatism or misplaced optimism. As you look historically at the last quarter or year, and towards the next year, the one thing you need to help you run your business and make your decisions is predictability, and that’s the one thing that proves so elusive when you compare what you said you’d do with what you ended up doing.

This whitepaper will start with some definitions of forecast and pipeline, offering some insights on what makes forecast and pipeline analysis difficult. Then, we introduce the thirteen truths of pipeline management. We bring the thirteen truths to life visually by showing examples of how you can get confidence and accuracy in your forecast and pipeline analysis. The confidence comes from the accuracy, or predictability, of the data that you run your business on. Finally, we make recommendations on what you need to do now if you want to be in a happy place later.

Forecast Analysis and Pipeline Analysis is difficult. The Thirteen Truths of Pipeline Management will help you see what’s important to focus on in this vital area.