Pipeline Leak Detector Manual

Tool Overview

The Pipeline Leak Detector is a standalone AI-powered assessment tool that analyzes your sales pipeline data to identify stalled deals, bottlenecks, and revenue at risk. Upload your CRM data in CSV format to receive a comprehensive health score, detailed leak analysis, and AI-generated recommendations for improvement.

What This Tool Identifies

Conversion Bottlenecks: Stages with low conversion rates (below 30-50%)
Stalled Deals: Opportunities with excessive time in a single stage (30+ days)
Revenue at Risk: Total value of deals likely to be lost without intervention
Stage Metrics: Conversion rates and average time by pipeline stage
AI Recommendations: 4-5 specific, actionable steps to recover revenue

Getting Started

The Pipeline Leak Detector is available as a standalone application, separate from the main Maru website. This allows for focused analysis without distractions.

Access the Tool

URL: https://pipeline-leak-detector.vercel.app

No account required. Simply upload your CSV and enter your email to receive analysis results.

CSV Format Requirements

The Pipeline Leak Detector accepts CSV files exported from most CRM systems including HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, Zoho, and others. The system automatically recognizes common column naming variations.

Required Columns

Column Requirements:

Essential (at least 4 required):

Deal Name - Unique deal identifier
Stage - Current pipeline stage
Date Created - When deal was created
Date Modified - Last activity date
Deal Value - Monetary value

Optional:

Lead Source - Origin channel

Supported Column Name Variations

The system intelligently maps common column naming conventions:

Recognized Column Names

Deal Name: "deal name", "opportunity name", "name", "deal", "opportunity"
Stage: "stage", "pipeline stage", "sales stage", "status"
Date Created: "date created", "created date", "created", "start date"  
Date Modified: "date modified", "modified date", "last modified", "updated"
Deal Value: "deal value", "amount", "value", "revenue", "deal amount"
Lead Source: "lead source", "source", "origin", "channel"

Sample CSV Format

Example CSV Structure

Deal Name,Stage,Date Created,Date Modified,Deal Value,Lead Source
Acme Corp,Prospect,2024-01-01,2024-01-15,50000,Website
TechStart,Qualified,2024-01-02,2024-02-01,75000,Referral
BigCo,Proposal,2024-01-03,2024-03-01,120000,LinkedIn
SmallBiz,Closed Won,2024-01-04,2024-04-01,25000,Email
StalledDeal,Proposal,2023-11-01,2023-11-15,60000,Cold Call
LostDeal,Closed Lost,2024-01-10,2024-02-10,30000,Website

CRM Export Guides

📊 HubSpot

Sales → Deals → Actions → Export

Include all deal properties and activities

⚡ Salesforce

Reports → Opportunities → Export Details

Export as CSV with all fields

🔄 Pipedrive

Deals → Export → All Deals

Include custom fields and dates

📈 Other CRMs

Look for Export or Reports section

Ensure CSV format with required columns

Export Tips

Include all deals (open, closed, won, lost) for complete analysis
Export data from the last 6-12 months for best results
Ensure dates are in YYYY-MM-DD format or standard date formats
Currency symbols in deal values are automatically stripped

Using the Tool

Navigate to the Pipeline Leak Detector

Open the standalone application in your browser:

URL: https://pipeline-leak-detector.vercel.app

You'll see a dark-themed interface with the signature Maru Turquoise accents.

Upload Your CSV File

Click the upload area or drag-and-drop your CSV file:

Accepted format: .csv files only
File size: No strict limit (tested with 10,000+ deals)
Validation: The system checks for required columns before processing

Once uploaded, you'll see a green checkmark with your filename.

Enter Your Email Address

Provide your business email address:

Used to associate results with your account
Results are saved to our database for future reference
You may receive follow-up recommendations

Click 'Analyze Pipeline'

Submit your data for AI-powered analysis:

Processing time: 10-30 seconds depending on data size
Loading state: Animated spinner with "Analyzing Your Pipeline" message
AI processing: Google Gemini generates personalized recommendations

Review Your Results

After analysis completes, you'll see:

Pipeline Health Score: Large score display (0-100) with color coding
Key Metrics: Total deals, revenue at risk, critical leaks count
Pipeline Leaks: Detailed breakdown of each problematic stage
Recommendations: 4-5 AI-generated action items

Data Privacy

Your CSV data is processed in real-time and analysis results are stored in our secure database. Raw CSV data is not permanently stored - only the calculated metrics and recommendations are saved.

Understanding Results

Pipeline Health Score

Your pipeline receives a health score from 0-100 based on:

Average conversion rates across all stages
Average time deals spend in each stage
Number of identified leaks

0-39

Critical

Immediate action required

40-59

Needs Attention

Several optimization opportunities

60-79

Healthy

Good with room for improvement

80-100

Excellent

Well-optimized pipeline

Key Metrics Cards

Three summary cards provide quick insights:

🎯 Total Deals

Number of deals analyzed from your CSV

📉 Revenue at Risk

Sum of deal values in problematic stages

⚠️ Critical Leaks

Number of high-severity leak stages

Pipeline Leak Details

Each identified leak includes:

Stage Name: The pipeline stage with the issue
Severity Badge: HIGH, MEDIUM, or LOW
Revenue Impact: Estimated dollar value at risk
Description: Explanation of the issue
Metrics: Conversion rate, average days in stage, deals lost

Scoring & Severity Levels

How the Health Score is Calculated

Score Formula:

1. Start with average conversion rate across all stages
2. Subtract 15 points if average stage time exceeds 30 days
3. Subtract 10 points if average stage time exceeds 21 days
4. Subtract 5 points for each identified leak
5. Cap result between 0 and 100

Severity Levels

🚨 HIGH Severity

Conversion rate below 30%

Impact: Critical - These stages are causing significant revenue loss and require immediate intervention.

⚠️ MEDIUM Severity

Conversion rate 30-50%, OR average time in stage exceeds 30 days

Impact: Moderate - Process inefficiencies that should be addressed.

✅ LOW/None

Conversion rate above 50% with healthy stage times

Impact: Minimal - These stages are performing well.

Revenue Impact Calculation

Revenue at risk is calculated for each leaking stage:

Revenue Impact Formula

Revenue Impact = Deals in Stage × (1 - Conversion Rate) × Average Deal Value

Example:
- 10 deals in "Proposal" stage
- 40% conversion rate (60% lost)
- Average deal value: $50,000
- Revenue Impact: 10 × 0.60 × $50,000 = $300,000 at risk

Taking Action

Immediate Actions (This Week)

Quick Wins

Contact Stalled Deals: Reach out to all deals with no recent activity (30+ days in stage)
Update Deal Status: Qualify or disqualify inactive opportunities to clean your pipeline
Review Biggest Leak: Focus on the stage with highest revenue impact first
Set Follow-up Reminders: Schedule regular check-ins for deals approaching stage time thresholds

Process Improvements (Next Month)

Stage Criteria: Define clear requirements for stage progression
Activity Tracking: Implement regular activity logging in your CRM
Pipeline Reviews: Schedule weekly pipeline review meetings
Automation: Set up automated follow-up sequences for stalled deals

Long-term Optimization (Next Quarter)

Sales Process Refinement: Optimize your sales methodology based on leak patterns
Training Programs: Address skill gaps identified in bottleneck stages
Technology Upgrades: Implement better CRM automation and alerts
Performance Metrics: Establish KPIs for pipeline health and track monthly

Monitoring Progress

Monthly Re-Analysis

Run the Pipeline Leak Detector monthly to track improvements. Compare these metrics over time:

Overall health score trend
Reduction in revenue at risk
Improvement in stage conversion rates
Decrease in average days in stage

Common Pipeline Issues & Solutions

High number of stalled deals

Causes: Poor lead qualification, lack of follow-up process, unclear next steps

Solutions: Implement BANT qualification, set up automated reminders, define clear stage exit criteria

Bottleneck in proposal stage

Causes: Slow proposal creation, pricing approval delays, decision-maker unavailability

Solutions: Create proposal templates, streamline approval process, identify all stakeholders early

Low conversion from prospect stage

Causes: Poor lead quality, weak value proposition, ineffective discovery calls

Solutions: Improve lead scoring criteria, refine qualification questions, provide sales scripts

Long sales cycles

Causes: Complex decision process, multiple stakeholders, unclear value proposition

Solutions: Map decision process, create stakeholder matrix, strengthen value messaging, offer proof-of-concept

Technical Notes

Technology Stack

The Pipeline Leak Detector is built on modern, enterprise-grade technology:

Framework: Next.js 16 (App Router) with TypeScript
AI Engine: Google Gemini for intelligent recommendation generation
Database: Neon (Serverless Postgres) with Drizzle ORM
Styling: Tailwind CSS with Maru Turquoise (#3DD6D0) brand colors
Animations: Framer Motion for smooth transitions

Data Processing

Client-side parsing: CSV files are read in the browser before submission
Server-side analysis: Core calculations run on secure API endpoints
AI integration: Recommendations are generated using Google Gemini API
Storage: Only analysis results are stored (not raw CSV data)

Rate Limiting

To ensure fair usage, the API implements rate limiting of 10 requests per minute per IP address. If you exceed this limit, wait 60 seconds before retrying.

Need Help Implementing Changes?

Check out our Lead Generation Strategies guide for detailed implementation steps, or contact our team for personalized assistance.

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