Pipeline value is not a staffing plan
A revenue forecast tells leadership what may be sold. Delivery needs to know when work may start, which roles it requires, and how many hours those roles will need each week.
Translating opportunities into resource demand creates a shared language between sales and delivery.
Model demand at the right confidence level
Do not treat every opportunity as confirmed. Weight demand by probability, but keep the underlying scenarios visible so leaders understand the range of possible outcomes.
- Committed: signed work included at 100%
- Likely: late-stage opportunities weighted by probability
- Possible: scenario-only demand used for contingency planning
- Unscoped: visible as a risk, not false precision
Make the decision before the shortage
When likely demand exceeds capacity, the organization has options: move project dates, develop skills, use contractors, hire, or change what is sold. Those options become more expensive as the start date approaches.