Commit vs. Best Case Framework

CATEGORY DEFINITIONS

Forecast Category Criteria

COMMIT CRITERIA (90%+ confidence)

REQUIRED ELEMENTS:
☐ Verbal agreement received
☐ Close date this quarter
☐ Economic buyer confirmed deal
☐ Legal/procurement in progress
☐ No known blockers
☐ Terms essentially agreed

DISQUALIFYING FACTORS:
☐ "We're still deciding"
☐ Budget not approved
☐ Key stakeholder not met
☐ Competitor still in play
☐ Close date slipped twice

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BEST CASE CRITERIA (60-90% confidence)

REQUIRED ELEMENTS:
☐ Active opportunity
☐ Champion engaged
☐ Business case discussed
☐ Timeline in quarter
☐ Path to commit clear

ACCEPTABLE RISKS:
☐ Budget pending approval
☐ One more stakeholder
☐ Competition not eliminated
☐ Minor timing uncertainty

Category Decision Matrix

Criterion	Commit	Best Case	Pipeline
Verbal	Yes	No	No
Budget	Approved	Identified	Unknown
Timeline	Confirmed	Likely	Possible
Champion	Strong	Identified	Weak
Competition	Won	Competing	Early

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CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

Category Movement Rules

CATEGORY TRANSITIONS

PROMOTE TO COMMIT:
☐ Verbal commitment received
☐ No outstanding blockers
☐ Close date confirmed
Manager approval: Required

DEMOTE FROM COMMIT:
☐ Close date slipped
☐ New blocker emerged
☐ Champion left
☐ Budget pulled
Manager notification: Required

REMOVE FROM FORECAST:
☐ Close date beyond quarter
☐ Opportunity stalled 30+ days
☐ Lost to competition
☐ No decision made

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