---
name: ma-pipeline-tracker-builder
description: "Converts unstructured deal inputs — meeting notes, CIM summaries, banker emails, intro calls — into standardized M&A pipeline entries with 20+ normalized fields, a deal stage assignment, next-action flags, and a scoring rubric. Use when adding new targets to a corporate development pipeline, cleaning up inconsistent deal records, or converting raw notes into a trackable pipeline row."
argument-hint: "[raw-deal-input] [pipeline-fields]"
allowed-tools: ["Read"]
---

# M&A Pipeline Tracker Builder

## Purpose
Turn messy, source-dependent deal information into clean, standardized pipeline entries that slot directly into a corporate development tracker — with consistent field formatting, an assigned deal stage, a fit score, and clearly flagged next actions. Eliminates the manual re-keying and inconsistent record-keeping that makes deal pipelines untrustworthy.

## When to Use
Invoke this skill when the user asks to:
- Add a new acquisition target or deal to the pipeline
- Convert meeting notes, an intro call, or a CIM summary into a structured deal record
- Standardize or clean up an existing pipeline entry with missing or inconsistent fields
- Extract deal fields (revenue, EBITDA, ask, sector) from a banker email or teaser
- Assign or update a deal's stage and next action
- Batch-process several raw deal notes into consistent pipeline rows

## Inputs Required
Before starting, collect:
- **Raw deal input**: The unstructured source — meeting notes, CIM/teaser summary, email text, or call recap
- **Source type**: Where the input came from (inbound banker, proprietary outreach, referral, event, etc.)
- **Pipeline field set**: The tracker's existing column headers, if the user wants output mapped to their schema
- **Stage taxonomy**: The user's stage names, if custom (defaults provided below)
- **Deal owner**: Who on the team owns this target
- **Strategic thesis**: What the acquirer is trying to accomplish (bolt-on, geographic expansion, capability, roll-up), used for the fit score

If a field set or stage taxonomy isn't provided, use the standard schema and stages below. Never fabricate financials — flag anything not present in the input as "Not disclosed."

## Instructions

### Step 1: Extract and Normalize Core Fields
Parse the raw input and populate the standard 20-field schema. Normalize formats consistently:

**Identification**
- **Target name**: Company legal or trade name
- **Website / domain**: If available
- **Sector / sub-sector**: Map to a clean category, not the input's phrasing
- **Geography (HQ)**: City, State/Country

**Financials** (label "Not disclosed" if absent — never estimate silently)
- **Revenue (LTM)**: Normalize to $M with currency noted
- **EBITDA (LTM)**: Normalize to $M; note if adjusted
- **EBITDA margin**: Calculate if both revenue and EBITDA are present; otherwise "N/A"
- **Growth rate**: YoY revenue growth if stated
- **Asking price / valuation expectation**: Include multiple basis if given (e.g., "~8x EBITDA")

**Deal Context**
- **Deal type**: Acquisition / Majority / Minority / Merger / Asset purchase
- **Source type**: From input
- **Referring party / banker**: Name and firm if present
- **Process type**: Proprietary / Limited auction / Broad auction / Unknown

**Relationship & Status**
- **Deal owner**: From input
- **First contact date**: From input or note as unknown
- **Last touch date**: Most recent interaction referenced
- **Key contacts at target**: Name + title

**Assessment**
- **Strategic rationale**: One sentence tying the target to the acquirer's thesis
- **Known risks / flags**: Concentration, customer churn, key-person dependency, litigation, etc.
- **Notes**: Anything material that doesn't fit a field

### Step 2: Assign Deal Stage
Map the deal to a stage using signals in the input. Default taxonomy:
1. **Sourced** — Identified; no contact yet
2. **Initial Contact** — Outreach made or inbound received; no substantive discussion
3. **Qualifying** — Exploratory call held; gathering basic info
4. **NDA / Info Exchange** — NDA signed or CIM/teaser received
5. **Evaluation** — Actively reviewing financials; building initial view
6. **IOI / LOI** — Indication or letter of intent stage
7. **Diligence** — Confirmatory diligence underway
8. **Negotiation / Close** — Definitive agreement in progress
9. **Passed / Dead** — Declined or fell through (capture reason)

Choose the stage based on the furthest milestone evidenced in the input, not the most optimistic interpretation.

### Step 3: Score Strategic Fit (1–5)
Rate against the stated thesis using a transparent rubric:
- **5 — Core fit**: Directly advances the primary thesis; few obvious risks
- **4 — Strong fit**: Advances thesis with minor gaps or integration friction
- **3 — Adjacent**: Related but not central; requires a rationale to prioritize
- **2 — Opportunistic**: Off-thesis but potentially attractive on economics
- **1 — Poor fit**: Little strategic logic; likely a pass

State the one factor most driving the score.

### Step 4: Flag Next Action and Owner
Based on stage and input, specify:
- **Next action**: A concrete verb-led step (e.g., "Send NDA," "Schedule management call," "Request 3-year P&L")
- **Owner**: Who does it
- **Target date**: If a timeline is referenced or reasonably inferable; otherwise "TBD"
- **Priority**: High / Medium / Low, aligned to fit score and stage

### Step 5: Output the Pipeline Entry
Render the entry in a clean, tracker-ready format. If a custom field set was provided, map to those exact column names and note any fields with no available data. For batch inputs, produce one entry per target.

## Output Format
- **Structure**: One structured table per deal (Field | Value), followed by a short assessment block (Stage rationale, Fit score + driver, Next action)
- **Length**: 250–400 words per deal entry
- **Format**: Two-column field table + brief structured notes; a summary table if multiple deals are processed
- **Sections**: Field Table → Stage Assignment → Fit Score → Next Action Block
- **Tone**: Corporate development analyst — precise, neutral, no promotional language; financials handled conservatively

## Quality Checklist
Before delivering output, verify:
- [ ] All 20 standard fields are present, each with a value or an explicit "Not disclosed"/"Unknown"
- [ ] No financials are estimated or invented — every number traces to the input
- [ ] EBITDA margin is calculated only when both revenue and EBITDA are present
- [ ] Deal stage matches the furthest milestone actually evidenced, not the most favorable read
- [ ] Fit score includes the single driving factor, not just a number
- [ ] Next action is a concrete, owner-assigned step — not a vague status

## Notes
- When financials appear in ranges or ranges-with-basis (e.g., "$10–12M revenue, high-single-digit EBITDA margins"), preserve the range rather than picking a point value.
- For inbound banker deals, always capture process type — proprietary vs. broad auction changes prioritization significantly.
- If the input conflicts with itself (e.g., two different revenue figures), surface both and flag the discrepancy in Notes rather than choosing one.
- For batch processing, keep field normalization identical across all entries so the pipeline stays sortable and comparable.

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## How to use this skill

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