Open pipeline can be broken down by type as well as by stage. Stage tells you how close the work is; type tells you what kind of work it is.

The questions it answers

• Is the growth in the work we want more of, or the work we tolerate?
• Are we too dependent on one product line?
• Did the push into a new area actually produce a pipeline, or just meetings?

Reading it

Compare the mix with the mix of what you have won. Where a type is a large share of the pipeline and a small share of the wins, you are spending effort on work you do not convert — which is worth knowing before you chase more of it.