{
  "version": "1.3.0",
  "releasedAt": "2026-05-20",
  "kpi": {
    "rogueId": "sales.bookings_backlog",
    "slug": "bookings_backlog",
    "domain": "sales",
    "defaultLabel": "Bookings Backlog",
    "description": "Total value of signed contracts that have not yet been recognized as revenue — future revenue locked into the books. Equivalent to \"remaining performance obligation\" (RPO) in public-SaaS disclosures, though private companies often track only the in-period portion. Board reads this as the visibility horizon: a healthy backlog means recognized revenue is largely already-sold and not dependent on Q-end heroics. Common pitfall: confusing backlog with pipeline — backlog is contractually committed, pipeline is unsigned opportunity. Surface the two on the same dashboard but never sum them.",
    "fieldType": "currency",
    "unit": null,
    "maturity": "general",
    "suggestedForStages": [
      "seriesA",
      "seriesB",
      "seriesC",
      "public"
    ],
    "defaultOwningFunctions": [
      "Sales",
      "Finance"
    ],
    "stageRelevance": {
      "seriesA": "recommended",
      "seriesB": "core",
      "seriesC": "core",
      "public": "core"
    },
    "definitionSource": {
      "tier": "editorial",
      "sourceName": "imboard Editorial",
      "sourceUrl": null,
      "sectionRef": null,
      "publicationDate": "2026-04-01",
      "attributionNotice": null
    },
    "formula": "Bookings Backlog = TCV of all signed customer contracts − Revenue already recognized against those contracts. For a SaaS business, the dominant component is unrecognized subscription value on multi-month / multi-year contracts. Most-comparable public-disclosure equivalent: ASC 606 Remaining Performance Obligation (RPO).",
    "whyItMatters": "The single best read on next-period revenue predictability — high backlog means the revenue line for the coming quarter is largely contractual, not pipeline-dependent. Boards use it to gauge whether the team is selling for in-quarter close or building durable forward visibility.",
    "interpretationGuidance": "Backlog at year-end ≥ 1.0× the next year's ARR plan is the \"visible year\" threshold most boards expect at Series B+ subscription companies (industry folk-wisdom — no single published standard; the underlying conventions derive from ASC 606 RPO disclosure norms in public-SaaS filings). Backlog declining as a share of forward plan = visibility eroding; usually demands a sales-cycle or pipeline-coverage drill-down.",
    "relatedKpiIds": [
      "sales.bookings_backlog_total",
      "sales.total_revenue",
      "sales.arr",
      "sales.carr",
      "sales.pipeline_value",
      "sales.weighted_forecast"
    ],
    "metricBasis": {
      "timeBasis": "point_in_time",
      "moneyBasis": "bookings",
      "production": "computed"
    }
  }
}