60% of companies miss their revenue targets — often because they don’t see the full pipeline clearly. Finance teams know this isn’t just a sales problem — it’s a forecasting problem.
Top-performing organizations maintain 3–4× pipeline coverage to ensure deals don’t derail targets. That makes pipeline generation a financial planning lever, not just a sales tactic.
What is pipeline generation?
It’s more than volume — it’s about building a pipeline with qualified opportunities and forward momentum. That means:
- Capturing leads and qualifying them
- Validating deal value and stage
- Tracking progression through well-defined sales stages
- Nurturing prospects until they close
With that foundation, forecast accuracy can improve by as much as 30%.
Why pipeline generation matters for Finance teams
Because pipeline directly affects cash planning:
- It drives revenue assumptions in forecasts
- It reveals future cash gaps or surpluses
- It supports budgeting for headcount and marketing
- It strengthens investor confidence through predictability
Leading indicators — like Pipeline Coverage Ratio, Win Rate, Sales Velocity, and Average Deal Size — offer finance teams forward visibility. That’s where Runway helps by modeling these inputs into real-time forecasts.
How Runway turns raw pipeline data into actionable financial insights
- CRM integrations: Runway pulls in live pipeline data from Salesforce, HubSpot, and more
- Scenario simulations: Quickly test how pipeline changes affect revenue, runway, headcount, and cash flow
- Shared dashboards: Sales and Finance teams collaborate over the same numbers
Best practices to strengthen pipeline generation
- Maintain CRM hygiene: Bad data erodes pipeline visibility
- Define stages clearly: Ensure uniform understanding across teams
- Hold cross-functional reviews: A weekly or monthly sync prevents surprises
- Aim for 3–4× coverage: Ensure there’s always enough pipeline to absorb slippage
With Runway, you can set alerts, isolate underperforming segments, and run workflows that align Sales and Finance in one shared view.
Top 5 Finance-focused pipeline generation FAQs
1. What can Finance teams do to build a reliable pipeline generation process?
Start by working with sales to define clear qualification criteria and pipeline stages that align with your financial reporting periods. Next, establish pipeline coverage targets (typically 3-5x your revenue goal) to ensure sufficient opportunities. Finally, implement regular pipeline reviews that connect directly to your financial forecasts in Runway.
The most successful finance teams don't just consume pipeline data — they actively participate in defining what makes a qualified opportunity and how pipeline health impacts financial projections.
2. Which metrics are essential for measuring pipeline generation success?
Finance teams should prioritize these leading indicators to sharpen forecasts:
- Pipeline coverage ratio (
pipeline value / revenue target) - Win rate (
closed deals / total opportunities) - Sales velocity (how quickly deals move through stages)
- Average deal size
- Conversion rates between pipeline stages
Runway helps you track these metrics in real-time, and incorporate them directly into your financial models, giving you a more dynamic view of future revenue.
3. How do I overcome common pipeline generation challenges?
Use Runway's unified business model to address the biggest challenges in pipeline generation:
- Implementing regular data hygiene checks
- Creating a single source of truth for pipeline data
- Establishing shared definitions between sales and finance
- Prioritize quality over quantity by leveraging intent data for personalization
4. Can AI-driven pipeline generation improve forecasting accuracy?
Yes. McKinsey finds AI-driven forecasting can boost accuracy by up to 10%. AI significantly enhances pipeline forecasting by:
- Analyzing historical conversion patterns to predict future outcomes
- Identifying which deals are most likely to close based on engagement signals
- Spotting pipeline anomalies that might affect your forecast
5. What's the fastest way to get started with pipeline generation on Runway?
- Begin by connecting your CRM system to Runway using our native integrations.
- Then import your existing pipeline data and create a basic model that maps pipeline stages to revenue forecasts.
- Finally, set up automated updates so your financial models always reflect the latest pipeline reality.
Also see our onboarding docs for step-by-step setup. Our team can help you get set up quickly.
Book a demo to see how Runway can transform your pipeline generation into a strategic finance function.