IK Systems
The Predictability Framework™
Doc. 02 / Template
- Pillar
- Predictable Customers
- Format
- Template
- Reading time
- 2 min read
Pipeline stage definitions and exit criteria
A one-page worksheet for defining your pipeline so two people looking at the same job agree on where it sits.
01Section
How to use this worksheet
Work through it once with whoever answers the phone and whoever prices the work. It should take under an hour. The goal is not a perfect process — it is a shared definition that removes the argument about whether a job is 'in the pipeline'.
- 01Name your stages. Five is right for most field service companies. Never more than six.
- 02For each stage, write the single observable event that lets a job enter it.
- 03For each stage, write the exit criteria — what must exist before the job moves forward.
- 04Assign one named owner per stage.
- 05Set a maximum age in days. Anything older gets raised at the weekly meeting.
02Section
The worksheet
| Field | Your answer |
|---|---|
| Stage name | ________________ |
| Enters when | ________________ |
| Exit criteria (evidence required) | ________________ |
| Owner (name) | ________________ |
| Maximum age (days) | ________________ |
| Where it is recorded | ________________ |
| What triggers the next step | ________________ |
Copy the block above once per stage. Keep the whole thing to one page.
03Section
Worked example — tree care
| Stage | Exit criteria | Owner | Max age |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inquiry | Name, address, tree count, and access constraint recorded | Office coordinator | 1 day |
| Qualified | Confirmed in service area, work type we perform, and permit need identified | Office coordinator | 2 days |
| Site visit | Photos, height and drop zone notes, equipment required | Estimator | 3 days |
| Proposal | Priced scope sent and client confirmed receipt | Estimator | 5 days |
| Signed | Signature, deposit, and a start window on the schedule | Owner | — |
04Section
Common mistakes
- Stages named after feelings — 'warm', 'hot', 'thinking about it'. Use events.
- No maximum age, so quiet deals live forever and inflate the pipeline.
- Two owners on a stage, which means no owner.
- Exit criteria that cannot be checked without asking the owner.
- Recording jobs in three places at once. Pick one system, even if it is a spreadsheet.
Do this first
One page, five stages, one named owner each, one maximum age each. Print it and put it where the phone gets answered.
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