Configuring Pipeline Stages

Pipeline stages define the steps that deals follow as they move from initial contact to a final outcome. AccuArk ships with a set of default stages, but because every business has a unique sales process, the system allows administrators to fully customize these stages. You can rename stages, change their order, adjust probability percentages, assign colors, designate which stage represents a won or lost deal, and configure automatic task creation for any stage.

This article is intended for administrators and managers who have the CRM_MANAGE_PIPELINE permission. It walks through every aspect of the Pipeline Settings screen and provides guidance on designing a pipeline that matches your sales workflow.

Accessing Pipeline Settings

To open the Pipeline Settings screen:

1. Navigate to the CRM menu in the main menu bar.
2. Click Pipeline Settings.
3. The Pipeline Settings form (FrmCRMPipelineSettings) opens, displaying the stages grid and configuration options.

Permission required: You must have the CRM_MANAGE_PIPELINE permission to access this screen. If the menu item is not visible or is grayed out, contact your system administrator to request the permission.

The Stages Grid

The main area of the Pipeline Settings screen is a grid that lists all pipeline stages. Each row represents one stage, and the columns display the stage's configuration properties.

Grid Columns

Reordering Stages

The order of stages in the pipeline matters. It determines the sequence in which deals progress and controls the behavior of the "Move to Next Stage" button.

To reorder stages:

1. Select the stage you want to move by clicking its row in the grid.
2. Click the Up arrow button to move the stage one position higher (earlier in the pipeline).
3. Click the Down arrow button to move the stage one position lower (later in the pipeline).
4. The stage order values update automatically as you move stages.

For example, if your current order is Lead, Qualified, Proposal, Negotiation and you want to add a "Demo" stage between Qualified and Proposal, you would add the Demo stage, then use the Up and Down arrows to position it at the correct order.

The Won and Lost stages are typically placed at the end of the pipeline, but the system does not enforce this. However, as a best practice, keep Won and Lost as the last two stages because they represent final outcomes rather than active selling stages.

Auto-Task Configuration

Each pipeline stage can be configured to automatically create a follow-up task whenever a deal enters that stage. This feature is called auto-task automation, and it ensures that important follow-up actions are never forgotten.

Auto-Task Settings Per Stage

When a deal moves into a stage with auto-task enabled, AccuArk creates a new task with the configured title, sets the due date based on the auto-task due days, and assigns the task to the deal's owner (the user in the deal's Assigned To field). The task appears in the deal owner's task list and can be managed through the standard task management interface.

Auto-Task Best Practices

• Enable auto-tasks only for stages that require a specific follow-up action. Not every stage needs an automatic task.
• Write task titles as action items ("Schedule discovery call" rather than "Discovery call stage").
• Set due days based on how quickly the follow-up should happen. A discovery call might need to happen within 2 days, while sending a detailed proposal might need 3-5 days.
• Do not enable auto-tasks for the Won or Lost stages because these are terminal stages where no further sales action is needed.

Default Seed Stages

AccuArk comes with six default stages that serve as a starting point for your pipeline. The table below shows the default configuration for each stage:

You can modify any of these default stages or add new ones to suit your business. The defaults are simply a starting point to get you up and running quickly.

Adding a New Stage

To add a new pipeline stage:

1. Click the Add button on the Pipeline Settings screen.
2. A new row appears in the stages grid with empty fields.
3. Enter the Stage Name (for example, "Demo" or "Contract Review").
4. Set the Stage Order to position the stage correctly in the pipeline sequence. You can also use the Up/Down arrows after adding the stage to position it.
5. Enter the Probability percentage that reflects how likely deals are to close when they reach this stage.
6. Enter a Color hex code for the stage badge. Choose a color that is distinct from existing stages so the pipeline is easy to scan visually.
7. Leave Is Won Stage and Is Lost Stage unchecked (these designations should only apply to one stage each, and they are already assigned to existing stages by default).
8. Ensure Is Active is checked so the stage appears in deal stage dropdowns.
9. Optionally configure auto-task settings if this stage requires automatic follow-up.
10. Click Save to apply the changes.

The new stage will appear in all deal stage dropdowns immediately. Existing deals are not affected by the addition of a new stage.

Editing an Existing Stage

To edit a stage, click into the field you want to change directly in the grid. You can modify the stage name, probability, color, auto-task settings, and active status. After making your changes, click Save to apply them.

Changes to a stage take effect immediately:

• Renaming a stage updates the name everywhere it appears, including in existing deal records and stage history entries.
• Changing the probability only affects new stage transitions. Deals that are already in the stage retain their current probability unless manually updated.
• Changing the color updates the badge color in all deals grids immediately.
• Deactivating a stage (unchecking Is Active) removes it from the stage dropdown for new deals but does not affect deals already in that stage.

Validation Rules

The Pipeline Settings screen enforces several validation rules to ensure your pipeline configuration is valid and consistent:

Exactly One Won Stage

Your pipeline must have exactly one stage marked as the Won stage. If you try to save the configuration without a Won stage, or with more than one Won stage, an error message will appear and the save will be blocked. This rule ensures that the system always knows which stage represents a successfully closed deal.

If you want to change which stage is the Won stage, first uncheck Is Won Stage on the current won stage, then check it on the new stage, and save. The system validates the configuration at save time.

Exactly One Lost Stage

Similarly, your pipeline must have exactly one stage marked as the Lost stage. The same rules apply: you cannot save without a Lost stage, and you cannot have more than one. This ensures that the system always knows which stage represents a failed deal.

Cannot Delete a Stage with Deals

You cannot delete a pipeline stage that has deals currently assigned to it. If you attempt to delete such a stage, the system will display an error message indicating how many deals are in that stage.

To delete a stage that has existing deals:

1. Open each deal in the stage and move it to a different stage (or mark it as Won/Lost).
2. Once no deals remain in the stage, return to Pipeline Settings and delete it.

Alternatively, if you simply want to stop using a stage without deleting it, uncheck the Is Active checkbox. This hides the stage from new deals while preserving historical data.

Designing Your Pipeline

When customizing your pipeline, consider the following guidelines to create a structure that is both useful and practical.

Keep It Simple

Aim for 5 to 7 stages in your pipeline. Fewer stages mean deals move through the pipeline quickly but you lose granularity. More stages provide finer detail but can make the pipeline feel cumbersome and slow to update. Most businesses find that 5 to 7 stages strike the right balance.

Use Probabilities That Reflect Reality

The default probabilities (10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, 0%) are starting estimates. Over time, you should track your actual conversion rates at each stage and adjust the probabilities to match your real-world data. For example, if you find that 40% of deals in your Qualified stage eventually close, update the probability from 25% to 40%. Accurate probabilities lead to more reliable revenue forecasts.

Choose Meaningful Colors

Pick colors that are visually distinct from one another. Avoid using two similar shades (for example, two different blues) because they will be hard to distinguish in the deals grid. Consider using a traffic-light approach: warm colors (red, orange) for early or at-risk stages, neutral colors (blue, gray) for mid-pipeline stages, and green for the Won stage.

Enable Auto-Tasks for Action-Oriented Stages

Auto-tasks work best on stages where a specific, time-sensitive action is needed. For example:

• Qualified: "Schedule discovery call" (due in 2 days)
• Proposal: "Send proposal" (due in 3 days)
• Negotiation: "Follow up on proposal" (due in 5 days)

Do not enable auto-tasks on stages where no specific action is required. The Lead stage, for example, may not need an auto-task because the next step varies depending on the lead source and context.

Document Your Pipeline for the Team

Once you have configured your pipeline, communicate the stage definitions and expected actions to your sales team. Everyone should understand what it means for a deal to be in each stage and what criteria must be met before a deal advances to the next stage. Clear stage definitions prevent inconsistency and ensure that your pipeline data is meaningful.

Common Workflows

Adding a "Demo" Stage to Your Pipeline

1. Open CRM > Pipeline Settings.
2. Click Add to create a new row.
3. Enter "Demo" as the Stage Name.
4. Set the Probability to 40%.
5. Enter a color hex code (for example, #9B59B6 for purple).
6. Use the Up/Down arrows to position the Demo stage between Qualified and Proposal.
7. Optionally enable auto-task with title "Prepare demo environment" and due days of 1.
8. Click Save.

Changing the Won Stage Probability

The Won stage probability should always be 100%. If it has been changed accidentally:

1. Open CRM > Pipeline Settings.
2. Find the Won stage row in the grid.
3. Change the Probability value to 100.
4. Click Save.

Retiring a Stage No Longer in Use

1. Open CRM > Pipeline Settings.
2. Find the stage you want to retire.
3. Uncheck the Is Active checkbox.
4. Click Save.
5. The stage will no longer appear in stage dropdowns for new deals, but existing deals and historical data are preserved.

Reviewing the Current Pipeline Configuration

1. Open CRM > Pipeline Settings.
2. Review the stages grid to see all stages, their order, probabilities, colors, and auto-task settings.
3. Check that exactly one stage is marked as Won and one as Lost.
4. Verify that active stages have distinct colors.
5. Close the form when done reviewing.

Tips and Best Practices

• Start with the defaults and adjust over time — The default stages are a solid starting point. Use them for a few weeks or months, then refine based on how your team actually works.
• Involve your sales team in pipeline design — The people using the pipeline daily are the best source of input on what stages make sense and what follow-up tasks are most important.
• Review probabilities quarterly — Conversion rates change over time as your product, market, and sales process evolve. Revisit your stage probabilities regularly to keep forecasts accurate.
• Use deactivation instead of deletion — If you stop using a stage, deactivate it rather than deleting it. Deactivation preserves all historical data while removing the stage from future use.
• Keep the Won and Lost stages last — Even though the system allows you to place them anywhere, keeping Won and Lost at the end of the pipeline makes the stage order intuitive and aligns with how the "Move to Next Stage" button works.
• Test auto-tasks before rolling out — After configuring auto-tasks on a stage, create a test deal and move it into that stage to verify the task is created with the correct title, due date, and assignee.

What to Read Next

• Auto-Tasks & Stage Automation — Detailed guide to auto-task configuration and behavior
• CRM Settings Overview — Manage all CRM-related settings including visibility, permissions, and defaults