Pipeline coverage ratios: what they actually predict and what they don't

A pipeline coverage ratio (total pipeline value relative to target) is a commonly used health signal, but it says nothing about the quality or stage-appropriateness of that pipeline — a large volume of early-stage, unqualified pipeline can produce a healthy-looking ratio while masking a genuine shortfall in opportunities close to conversion.

Organizations that break coverage down by stage, rather than reporting a single blended ratio, get a meaningfully more accurate read on whether the pipeline can actually support the target.