# Sales Pipeline Hygiene Playbook | 121 CRM > Keep opportunities current, explainable and connected to a real next decision. A fictional building firm reviews opportunities with no next action or stage change in fourteen days. This playbook turns that kind of situation into an owned sequence with explicit stop points, exceptions and measures. Use only channels, data and capabilities approved for your setup. ## Pipeline hygiene: the working sequence Illustrative playbook — names, organisations and activity are fictional. ## Capabilities explained ### Opportunities Represents a potential sale or deal linked to a contact, value, owner and pipeline position. **How it works:** Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules. **Why a business would use it:** Shows which customer conversations are active commercial work rather than general contacts. **Limitations:** Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently. **Human responsibility:** A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status. ### Pipelines Defines an ordered sales process through which opportunities can be reviewed and moved. **How it works:** Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules. **Why a business would use it:** Makes the sales process visible so follow-up is based on stage rather than memory. **Limitations:** Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently. **Human responsibility:** A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status. ### Tasks Creates assigned, dated and optionally recurring actions against contacts or opportunities. **How it works:** Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules. **Why a business would use it:** Turns the next step into owned work instead of leaving it inside notes or inboxes. **Limitations:** Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently. **Human responsibility:** A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status. ### Stages and statuses Uses configured stages plus open, won, lost and abandoned statuses to describe the state of a deal. **How it works:** Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules. **Why a business would use it:** Separates progress through a process from the final commercial outcome. **Limitations:** Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently. **Human responsibility:** A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status. ## Begin with a valid trigger, enough context and one owner A scheduled review identifies open opportunities that are stale, incomplete or inconsistent. Before any automated action, confirm that the event, customer record and communication basis are suitable for this playbook. ### Trigger A scheduled review identifies open opportunities that are stale, incomplete or inconsistent. ### Practical scenario A fictional building firm reviews opportunities with no next action or stage change in fourteen days. ### Accountable owner Name the person or queue that accepts the work, monitors exceptions and can stop the sequence. ## Run the pipeline hygiene playbook step by step Each step should leave evidence a colleague can understand. Timing and channels should follow the customer context rather than a generic high-pressure cadence. ### 1. Prepare the view Filter live opportunities by owner, stage, age and missing next action. ### 2. Check reality Ask whether the work is still live and what evidence supports the current stage. ### 3. Correct the record Update stage, value basis, owner and next action from known facts. ### 4. Close honestly Record won, lost, duplicate or abandoned outcomes with an appropriate reason. ### 5. Fix recurring causes Improve stage definitions, training or automation behind repeated errors. ## Stop the normal route when the facts change Exceptions are part of the process, not failures to be hidden. Route them to a person with the authority and context to decide what happens next. ### Owner unavailable Reassign temporarily with context rather than editing blindly. ### Customer decision genuinely delayed Keep the record open with a dated review and reason. ### Value uncertain Use the agreed basis or leave it unknown rather than inventing a forecast. ## Measure whether the work became safer and clearer Use measures that reveal ownership, service quality and control. Counts of messages, tasks or workflow runs are supporting signals, not proof of customer value. ### Open opportunities with dated next actions Review by owner and stage. ### Stale items corrected or closed Track clean-up and underlying causes. ### Stage-definition exceptions Use them to refine the pipeline. ## Frequently asked questions ### When should the pipeline hygiene playbook start? A scheduled review identifies open opportunities that are stale, incomplete or inconsistent. Confirm the record is eligible and that a named owner or monitored queue is available before allowing customer-facing action. ### Which channels should the pipeline hygiene playbook use? Use only configured channels that suit the purpose, customer preference and consent position. Give each channel a distinct role and check provider availability and usage charges before launch. ### When should pipeline hygiene automation stop? Stop when the purpose is complete, the customer responds or opts out, the data conflicts, or an exception needs judgement. In this playbook, pay particular attention to owner unavailable, customer decision genuinely delayed, value uncertain. ### How should we judge whether pipeline hygiene works? Review open opportunities with dated next actions, stale items corrected or closed, stage-definition exceptions. Combine the numbers with sampled records and customer context; do not treat activity volume as a business outcome. ## Related CRM pages - [/crm/guides](https://121.direct/crm/guides) - [/crm/guides/customer-follow-up-automation](https://121.direct/crm/guides/customer-follow-up-automation) - [/crm/features/opportunity-management](https://121.direct/crm/features/opportunity-management) - [/crm/features/sales-pipelines](https://121.direct/crm/features/sales-pipelines) - [/crm/guides/sales-pipeline-guide](https://121.direct/crm/guides/sales-pipeline-guide) - [/crm/playbooks/data-quality-review](https://121.direct/crm/playbooks/data-quality-review) This Markdown alternative contains public product information only. It provides no access to CRM accounts, records, credentials or payment execution.