View and Analyze Business Opportunity Pipeline Chart

Explanation

This activity is used to view and analyze the business opportunity pipeline.

Prerequisites

At least one business opportunity must exist.

System Effects

There are no system effects.

Window

Business Opportunity Pipeline Chart

Related Window Descriptions

Business Opportunity Pipeline Chart

Procedure

The opportunity pipeline can be viewed and analyzed by applying different features:

  1. Date Filter
  2. Y-Value
  3. Content Filter
  4. Chart Types
  5. Saved Chart Configurations
  6. Additional Features
  1. Date Filter

The date filter is used to define the date range for the pipeline chart. The Opportunity Dates area is used to define which opportunity date should be considered for the date range.

  1. In the Opportunity Dates area, click the required option. The available options are Estimated Sign Date, Start Date, Closed Date, Actual Sign Date and Expiration Date.
  2. To view the pipeline chart, enter a date in the From Date field. This is a required field.
  3. To view the pipeline chart for a specific date range, enter a date in the To Date field. To be able to view the chart per year, per quarter or per month, a value must be entered in the To Date field.
  4. Click Refresh to draw the chart.

The draw chart options are used to define if the pipeline chart should display the selected date range as aggregated, yearly, quarterly or monthly.

  1. In the Draw Chart By area, click the required option. The available options are Aggregated, Yearly, Quarterly and Monthly.
  1. Y-Value

The Y-value options are used to define if the pipeline chart should display the number of opportunities, the opportunity value, the contribution margin or the average time in pipeline for the opportunities.

  1. In the Y-Value area, click the required option. The available options are No of Opportunities, Estimated Value, Actual Value, Weighted Estimated Value, Weighted Actual Value, Contribution Margin and Average Time in the Pipeline.
  2. Optionally, change the currency. The default value is the currency of the user's default company. Opportunity values expressed in other currencies will be recalculated accordingly.
  1. Content Filter

The content filter is used both to select which opportunity attribute to display in the chart, i.e. to decide the chart title, and also to filter the chart data by applying opportunity attribute value filters.

  1. Click the Content Filter tab.
  2. To select which opportunity attribute to display in the chart, click on the label of a content filter, for example Status or Customer.
  3. To apply a content filter, select one or more attribute values for the opportunity attribute.

Note 1: Information about the currently used date range and content filter settings is displayed in the Current Filter text box on the header.

Note 2: Click Clear Filter to clear all current content filter and date range settings.

Note 3: You can show or hide content filter attributes by right-clicking in the Content Filter tab and then clicking on the attribute.

Note 4: You can move content filter attributes by right-clicking and then clicking Change Position. On the dialog box that appears, you can select a content filter attribute and move it up or down.

  1. Chart Types

The pipeline data can be presented in different type of charts.

  1. Select Bar, Column, Line, Doughnut or Funnel based on the type of chart you want to have.
  2. Select 3D to display the chart selected in step 1 in a 3D format.
  3. Select Stacked to display the chart selected in step 1 as stacked.

Note 1: The Doughnut and Funnel chart options can only be selected if aggregated chart data is displayed.

Note 2: The Stacked option can only be selected if the chart data is displayed yearly, quarterly or monthly.

  1. Select Show Summary to display a summary of the total and average values for all opportunities in the pipeline chart.
  1. Saved Chart Configurations

It is possible to save the current date range and content filter settings as a saved configuration.

To create a new saved chart configuration:

  1. Click Save Chart Configuration.
  2. The Save Chart Configuration dialog box opens.
  3. Click Save as New or Update Existing.
  4. Optionally enter a Chart Configuration ID.
  5. In the Description field, enter a description for the saved configuration. Entering a value in this field is required.
  6. Optionally enter notes.
  7. Select the Global check box if the configuration should be available for all users.
  8. Click OK to save the configuration.

Note: If the Global check box is selected, the saved configuration will be available for all users. Otherwise it will only be available for the user who created the configuration.

To use existing saved configuration:

  1. Click Populate.
  2. Click the Saved Chart Configurations tab. 
  3. Select the required saved configuration. In the lower part of the tab you can see all details about the selected configuration. Right-click and then click Execute Configuration. The saved configuration settings are applied to the pipeline chart.

To edit existing saved configurations:

  1. Click Populate.
  2. Click the Saved Chart Configurations tab.
  3. Select the required saved configuration. Right-click and then click Edit Configuration.
  4. The Save Chart Configuration dialog box opens and you can edit the description, notes and the Global check box.
  5. Click OK to save the changes.
  1. Additional Features

Additional features that are available in the Business Opportunity Pipeline Chart window are as follows: