Forecast Cadence and Process

A forecast is a living number. It changes as deals progress, stall, or die. The cadence — how often the forecast is produced and reviewed — determines how quickly the organization can react. Weekly is the standard for sales-led organizations. Monthly is too slow — a month of pipeline movement without forecast adjustment creates surprises. Daily is overkill for most deal cycles — the noise exceeds the signal. The weekly forecast review is the operational rhythm that connects pipeline data to business decisions.

The forecast review has a specific structure. First, the model-generated number: the weighted pipeline forecast based on historical probabilities. Second, the commit number: the sum of deals each rep commits to closing this period. Third, the variance: the gap between the model and the commits. The variance is where the conversation lives. If the model says $1.2M and the team commits $1.5M, the $300K gap represents optimism that must be explained deal by deal. If the model says $1.2M and the team commits $900K, the $300K gap represents conservatism or known risks that the model has not captured. Both conversations are productive. Neither happens without the variance.