Pipeline Management

Understanding Pipeline Stages

Searcher OS uses a standard acquisition pipeline with 8 stages. Each stage represents a milestone in your deal evaluation process.

The Standard Pipeline

1. Interested – You're interested in this opportunity
2. NDA Signed – You've signed an NDA and are awaiting the CIM
3. CIM Review – You're analyzing the Confidential Information Memorandum
4. Conversations – Active discussions with broker and/or seller
5. LOI – You've submitted a Letter of Intent
6. Due Diligence – LOI accepted, you're in the DD phase
7. Closed – Deal successfully acquired
8. Dead – Deal terminated

How to Move Deals

You can move deals between stages in two ways:

Method 1: Drag and Drop

On the Pipeline page, simply drag a deal card from one column to another. This is the fastest way to update deal status.

Method 2: Deal Detail Page

Click into a deal to open its detail page. Use the "Advance Stage" dropdown in the deal's Quick Actions to change stages.

Dismissing Deals

When you dismiss a deal (moving it to Dead), you pick a reason for archiving it. This helps you learn from rejected deals and identify patterns.

Archive Reasons

• Too Expensive: Asking price or multiple is too high
• Bad Financials: Numbers don't add up or add-backs are unrealistic
• Wrong Industry: Not an industry you want to operate in
• Wrong Location: Too far or not a market you're targeting
• Already Taken: Deal went to another buyer or is under LOI
• Not Interested: Doesn't fit your criteria or just isn't the right deal
• Other: Any reason not listed above

Deal Activity Log

Every deal has an activity timeline where you can log:

• Email Sent: Outbound correspondence with brokers/sellers
• Email Received: Inbound correspondence with brokers/sellers
• Calls: Phone conversations (with notes)
• Meetings: In-person or video meetings
• Notes: General notes or observations

This creates a complete history of your interactions with each opportunity.

Stale Deal Warnings

If a deal sits in a stage for too long without activity, it will be flagged as stale. Each stage has its own warning threshold (and a later critical threshold):

• Interested: 3 days (critical at 7)
• NDA Signed: 2 days (critical at 5)
• CIM Review: 5 days (critical at 10)
• Conversations: 7 days (critical at 14)
• LOI: 5 days (critical at 10)
• Due Diligence: 21 days (critical at 45)

Stale warnings help you maintain momentum and follow up on promising deals.

Best Practices

Keep Your Pipeline Moving

Set a weekly goal to move at least 3-5 deals forward (or kill them). Deals that sit idle for weeks are opportunity cost.

Archive Liberally

If a deal doesn't pass initial screening, archive it immediately. Don't let "maybe" deals clog your pipeline.

Use Notes

Add notes to deals as you learn more. This is especially helpful when comparing similar opportunities or picking up a deal after a few weeks.

Need Help?

Questions about pipeline management? Contact support.