DOCUMENTATION

Signal Master

Define sales signals captured from customer meetings and their impact weights

Signal Master

Signal Master is the screen for defining and managing signals captured from customer meetings and their impact on win probability. The signal list that sales representatives select when recording meeting results in the Activity Board is managed on this screen.

All users can view signals, but creating, editing, and deleting signals and impact types is restricted to admin or super_user roles only.

Location: Sidebar → Settings → Signal Master


What is a Signal?

In sales, a signal is a reaction shown by the customer during a meeting — a clue that indicates whether the deal is more or less likely to succeed.

For example:

  • Customer says "The budget has been approved" → Strong Positive signal
  • Customer says "Let's have an additional meeting next week" → Weak Positive signal
  • Customer says "We've decided to go with a competitor's product" → Strong Negative signal
  • Customer says "We'll review it" (polite formality) → No Signal

EXAWin doesn't just record these signals. Each signal is assigned a mathematical weight (Impact), and every time a signal is entered, the Bayesian engine automatically recalculates the win probability.

Signal Master manages two things:

  1. Signals — Specific situations that can be captured in meetings (e.g., "Budget Approved", "Contact Changed")
  2. Impact Types — Categories that determine the magnitude of a signal's influence (e.g., "Game Changer", "Strong Affirmation")

Impact Types: The Scale That Determines Signal Influence

To understand Signal Master, you first need to learn about Impact Types. Impact Types define the magnitude of influence that a signal has on win probability.

Standard Impact Types

EXAWin provides 7 system standard Impact Types:

Impact TypeImpact ValueTypeDescription
Game Changer5.0PositiveDecisive evidence that immediately turns the tide
Strong Affirmation1.0PositiveClear positive direction signal
Weak Affirmation0.4PositiveSubtle positive hint
No Signal0.1NoneIndeterminate noise
Weak Negation0.4NegativeSubtle negative hint
Strong Negation1.0NegativeClear negative direction signal
Game Changer (Negative)5.0NegativeDecisive negative evidence that immediately turns the tide

How Impact Values Affect Win Probability

Understanding how Impact values actually work will naturally explain why these values should not be changed arbitrarily.

When a sales representative records a meeting, the following calculation occurs internally:

αnew=αprev+SWV×Impact\alpha_{\text{new}} = \alpha_{\text{prev}} + \text{SWV} \times \text{Impact}
  • If it's a positive signal, α (success weight) increases → P(Win) ↑
  • If it's a negative signal, β (failure weight) increases → P(Win) ↓
  • SWV (stage weight) and Impact are multiplied together to determine the influence

To put it simply:

A signal is "what happened" and Impact is "how important it is". Just like in news reporting, the same event has a completely different impact on the world depending on whether it's a front page headline (Game Changer, Impact 5.0) or a small article on page three (Weak Affirmation, Impact 0.4).

⚠️ Why You Should Not Arbitrarily Change Impact Values

Impact values are not random numbers. They are calibrated using a ratio-based design (f-coupling) linked to the company's initial setting of Prior strength (S = α + β = 10):

Impact TypeImpactRatio to PriorMeaning
Game Changer5.050%A single meeting shakes half of the initial belief
Strong Affirmation/Negation1.010%A single meeting shifts 10% of the initial belief
Weak Affirmation/Negation0.44%A single meeting finely adjusts the initial belief
No Signal0.11%Noise level, virtually no impact

If this ratio is broken, the following problems occur:

If Impact is set too high — Probability surges or drops dramatically with a single meeting. For example, raising "Strong Affirmation" from 1.0 to 8.0 could cause P(Win) to jump from 25% to 80% with just one signal in the Negotiation stage. This produces predictions completely detached from reality.

If Impact is set too low — Even the most decisive signals barely move the probability. Imagine a customer saying "We'll send the purchase order" and the system only moves the probability from 28% to 29%.

💡 It is strongly recommended to maintain standard values for Impact. Once sufficient data has accumulated, EXAWin's Auto-Tuner will analyze past Won/Lost records and automatically suggest optimal values.

For detailed documentation on parameter calibration principles, see the following:


Screen Layout

The screen is composed of a 2-panel layout:

  • Left Panel — Signal list or Impact Type list (tab switching)
  • Right Panel — Signal/Impact Type creation and editing form (synced with tab)

Top Header

ItemDescription
ExcelExport the current tab's list (Signals or Impact Types) as an .xlsx file
Signals CountDisplays the total number of registered signals

Tab Switching

There are 2 tabs at the top of the right panel:

TabLeft ListRight Form
SignalsSignal list (grouped by Impact Type)Signal creation/editing
Impact TypesImpact Type listImpact Type creation/editing

Switching tabs simultaneously changes both the left table and the right form.


Signals Tab

Signal Table

ColumnDescription
Impact TypeThe Impact Type the signal belongs to (shown with a color dot)
Signal NameSignal name. Inactive signals display an "Inactive" badge
Base ValueThe Impact Type's Impact value (green for positive, red for negative)
SourceSystem (system default) or Custom (user-added)

Clicking a table row loads the signal information into the right form for editing.

Creating Signals

After resetting the form with the Reset button at the top, enter the following fields:

FieldRequiredDescription
Impact TypeSelect the Impact Type for the signal (dropdown)
Signal NameSignal name (e.g., "Budget Approved", "Contact Changed")
DescriptionSignal description (optional)
ActiveActive/Inactive toggle (default: Active)

Click the Save button at the top after entering to save. Newly created signals are marked as Custom.

Editing Signals

Clicking a signal in the table switches the right form to edit mode:

  • An "Editing" badge is displayed at the top of the form
  • Modify fields and save with the Save button
  • Click the Reset button to exit edit mode and return to new signal entry mode

Signal names can be changed freely. Name changes do not affect Bayesian calculations.

Deleting Signals

Click the Delete button in edit mode to delete a signal.

Delete Restrictions:
  • System signals cannot be deleted
  • ❌ Signals that are in use in activity records cannot be deleted (referenced in past meeting records)
  • ✅ If conditions are met, deletion proceeds after a confirmation popup

Deleted signals' past activity records are preserved as-is. They are only removed from the list, so rest assured that existing data will not disappear.


Impact Types Tab

Impact Type Table

ColumnDescription
Impact NameImpact Type name (shown with a color dot)
Score TypePositive / Negative / No Signal
Base ValueImpact value (numeric)
Sort OrderDisplay order
StatusSystem (system default) or Custom (user-added)

Creating Impact Types

FieldRequiredDescription
Impact NameImpact Type name
Score TypePositive (α increase) / Negative (β increase) / No Signal
Base ValueImpact value (in 0.1 increments). Standard scale: 0.1 – 5.0
Sort OrderDisplay order (integer)
ColorColor displayed in the signal list

When "No Signal" is selected, the Base Value is automatically set to 0.1 and cannot be modified.

Editing Impact Types

Clicking an Impact Type in the table switches to edit mode. The UI pattern is the same as for signals.

Deleting Impact Types

Delete Restrictions:
  • System Impact Types cannot be deleted
  • ❌ Impact Types in use by signals cannot be deleted (signals are linked to this Impact Type)
  • ✅ If conditions are met, deletion proceeds after a confirmation popup

Relationship Between Signals and Impact Types

Signals and Impact Types have a many-to-one (N:1) relationship. Multiple signals are linked to a single Impact Type.

For example, the "Strong Affirmation" Impact Type can have the following signals linked to it:

Signal NameImpact TypeImpact Value
Budget ApprovedStrong Affirmation1.0
Key Decision Maker SupportStrong Affirmation1.0
Pilot SuccessStrong Affirmation1.0

All these signals are reflected with the same Impact value (1.0). Signals distinguish "what happened", and Impact Types determine "how important it is".


Important Notes

  • Deactivating a specific signal excludes it from the signal selection in the Activity Board.
  • Changing signal names freely does not affect Bayesian calculations. However, Impact values (Base Values) are standard values calibrated according to the f-coupling principle, so arbitrary changes may distort probability calculations.
  • When adding new Impact Types, it is recommended to set values within the standard scale range (0.1 – 5.0). Values outside this range will violate the EPR (Evidence-Prior Ratio) guardrails.
  • Click the signal help button (❓) to view detailed descriptions about Impact.