Lead processes versus opportunity sales processes
Key Takeaway
To give users different Lead Status or Stage values, assign a different lead process or sales process to each record type. A record type can't filter these fields directly.
A business process controls which values users can pick on a key status field, so different teams can follow different lifecycles on the same object. A lead process does this for the Lead Status field on leads. A sales process does the same for the Stage field on opportunities. Each process reaches users through a record type.
The four kinds of business processes
There are four kinds of business processes. Each one filters a single status picklist.
| Object | Status picklist it filters | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales process | Opportunities | Stage |
| Lead process | Leads | Lead Status |
| Support process | Cases | Status |
| Solution process | Solutions | Status |
So the main difference between a lead process and a sales process is the object and field they control.
Each process includes some or all of the values from its field's picklist, so one org can track separate lifecycles side by side on the same object.
For example, imagine an org that handles both regular sales and professional services engagements. The org can create two sales processes on opportunities, one for each kind of work. Each process offers a different set of Stage values.