> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.affinity.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Tutorial 12: Advanced Pipeline Management
> Funnel analysis, stage velocity, deal health scoring with formulas.
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**This tutorial covers the standard Lists experience.** If you've opted into "Try improved Lists" (Sheets 3 Beta), some buttons may be in different locations β but all concepts and outcomes are the same.
## Immediate Value
After this tutorial, you'll analyze your pipeline funnel, identify where deals get stuck, review pipeline performance over time, use the opportunities pipeline report, and explore how formula fields can score deal health.
## Prerequisites
* Tutorial 5: Pipeline Basics
* Tutorial 9: Building Your Pipeline
## Quick-Start Roadmap
1. Analyze your pipeline funnel
2. Identify where deals get stuck before closing
3. Review pipeline performance over time
4. Use the opportunities pipeline report
5. Score deals with a health formula
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## Why Advanced Pipeline Analytics Matter
Basic pipeline tracking tells you where deals are. Advanced analytics tells you how they move between stages and how your conversion rates change over time. This is the difference between a snapshot view and a trend view.
> **Affinity guides:** [Deal Flow Reporting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fMFltnD1Xg) and [Understanding Deal Analytics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsJbgkZfc9k)
***
## Task 1: Analyze Your Pipeline Funnel
### Context
A funnel analysis shows conversion rates between stages. If 100 deals enter Sourcing but only 5 reach Due Diligence, that tells you something about your qualification filter or sourcing mix.
### π¬ Watch
### Action
1. Open your Pipeline list
2. Switch to **Dashboard view** (Views β **Dashboard**)
3. Look for the **funnel widget** showing deals per stage
4. Calculate conversion rates stage-by-stage:
* Sourced β Initial Review: what % advance?
* Initial Review β Due Diligence: what % advance?
* Due Diligence β Closed Won: what % close?
5. Note the largest drop-off β that's the stage worth investigating
A large cliff at any one stage (e.g., most deals dying in Due Diligence) often points to a specific process issue worth looking into.
### Expected Outcome
You know your conversion rates between pipeline stages and can identify the biggest drop-off point.
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## Task 2: Identify Where Deals Get Stuck
### Context
Deals that sit in a stage for a long time are either dead (pass them) or stuck (unblock them). Surfacing stale deals prevents pipeline bloat.
### Action
1. In Board view, look for cards that have been in the same column for an extended time.
2. To quantify stage dwell time more precisely, build an Analytics report β see [How to track average days spent in each status using Affinity Analytics](/s/article/How-to-track-average-days-spent-in-each-status-using-Affinity-Analytics). (Affinity doesn't expose a "days in stage" column on the list itself.)
3. For each stale deal, decide:
* **Still active?** Set a reminder and schedule the next step
* **Dead?** Move to Passed/Declined
* **Blocked?** Identify the blocker and assign an action
"Stale" is firm-specific β what's normal at one fund may be slow at another. Define what stale means for your stages and revisit periodically.
### Expected Outcome
You've identified and actioned the stale deals in your pipeline.
***
## Task 3: Pipeline Performance Over Time
### Context
Trend data shows whether your pipeline is growing, shrinking, or cycling. Compare this quarter to last quarter to spot changes.
### Action
1. Open **Analytics** from the navigation
2. Find or create a pipeline performance report
3. Set the time range (this quarter vs. last quarter)
4. Review key metrics:
* **Deals entered** per period
* **Deals closed** per period
* **Average time to close**
* **Win rate** (Closed Won / Total Decisions)
### Expected Outcome
You can compare pipeline metrics across time periods and identify trends.
### π Help Center
* [How to Track Average Days Spent in Each Status Using Affinity Analytics](/s/article/How-to-track-average-days-spent-in-each-status-using-Affinity-Analytics)
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## Task 4: Opportunities Pipeline Report
### Context
The opportunities report provides a pre-built view of all Opportunity-type records with financial metrics β total pipeline value, weighted pipeline, and stage breakdown.
### Action
1. Navigate to **Analytics**
2. Find the **Opportunities** or **Pipeline** report template
3. Review:
* Total pipeline value (sum of all open deal amounts)
* Weighted pipeline (amount Γ probability)
* Stage distribution (value per stage)
* Top deals by amount
Weighted pipeline (amount Γ probability) is often used for forecasting β a \$10M deal at 20% probability contributes \$2M to the weighted total.
### Expected Outcome
You can pull a pipeline report with total value, weighted value, and stage breakdown.
### π Help Center
* [Basic Reporting: Opportunities Reports](/s/article/Basic-Reporting-Opportunities-Reports)
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## Task 5: Deal Health Scoring with Formulas
### Context
A formula field can combine multiple signals (days in stage, last contact recency, deal size) into a single surfaced score, helping you triage which deals need attention.
### Action
1. Open your deal list
2. Add a new **Formula field** (**+ New Column** β **Formula**)
3. Create a health score, for example:
* If last contact > 30 days, flag as "Cold"
* If days in stage > threshold, flag as "Stale"
4. Use the formula to sort or filter your list
**Simple health categories:**
* β **Healthy:** Contacted recently AND progressing
* β οΈ **Needs Attention:** No contact in the mid-range
* π¨ **At Risk:** No contact for an extended period OR stale in stage
Formula fields are covered in detail in Tutorial 15. This task introduces the concept; you'll build the full formula there.
### Expected Outcome
You understand how to use formula fields for deal health scoring and can identify at-risk deals.
### π Help Center
* [How to create list calculations using the formula field](/s/article/How-to-create-list-calculations-using-the-formula-field)
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## For Admins: Apps and API Keys
### Context
Pipeline analytics often flow into external BI tools (Looker, Tableau, etc.) via Affinity's API. Admins manage that access through **Manage Apps**.
### Action
1. Go to **Settings** β **Manage Apps** (admin access required)
2. Review connected apps and their permissions
3. Manage API keys for custom integrations
**Admin-only.** Revoking app access or deleting an API key may break active integrations. Coordinate with the integration owner before making changes.
***
## AI Chat (Beta) for Pipeline Insights
If your workspace has **AI Chat (Beta)** enabled, you can ask it questions about your pipeline β e.g., "Which deals haven't been touched in 30 days?" or "Summarize my Due Diligence stage."
AI Chat is a Beta feature. Always verify outputs against the underlying data before acting on them or sharing with stakeholders.
***
## Common Questions
A common cadence is weekly for operational decisions (stale deals, upcoming closings), monthly for trend analysis and board reporting, and quarterly for strategic pipeline health. Adapt to your team's rhythm.
Yes. Analytics reports can be shared with team members and exported for board presentations. See Tutorial 14 for full analytics and reporting.
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## See It In Action
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## Where to Go Next
* **Next tutorial:** Tutorial 13: Automation and Rules
* **π Deep Dive:** [Understanding Deal Analytics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsJbgkZfc9k) (28:45 min)
* **πΊοΈ Learning Paths:** Deal Sourcing (Step 6), Deal Management (Step 5)
* **π Affinity guide:** [Deal Management Guide](https://affinity.co/guides-2/deal-sourcing-guide-for-venture-capital)