Lifecycle stage
A lifecycle stage is a named condition for a declared object, with entry evidence, exit evidence, effective rules, and decision ownership.
Different objects can have different lifecycles. A Person, Demand Instance, Opportunity, agreement, and customer service record need not share one universal sequence. Entry and exit can be supported by automation, reviewed human evidence, or both, provided the rule, source, time, and accountable decision are visible.
A useful lifecycle publishes permitted and exceptional transitions, retains history, and keeps each metric tied to the population that actually followed the stated path. A label alone is not enough, but automatic evaluation is not a universal requirement.
Where it breaks
Lifecycle stage is writable by three integrations and two teams, and no transition history is retained.
Related terms
- Marketing qualified lead (MQL)
- An MQL is a record that has met a documented, enforced threshold of fit and intent, and that marketing is formally handing to sales.
- Sales accepted lead (SAL)
- A SAL is an MQL that the receiving sales function has explicitly accepted as workable, creating the only honest measurement of demand quality.
- Funnel conversion rate
- Funnel conversion rate is the proportion of records that transition from one governed stage to the next, measured on a consistent cohort basis.
- Lifecycle velocity
- Lifecycle velocity is the time records take to move between governed stages, measured as a distribution rather than an average.
Field notes on this
- The MQL debate needs an acceptance record
A recorded acceptance decision makes lead-quality disputes inspectable. It is a signal, not a complete diagnosis of demand performance.