How to Forecast and Set Custom Goals in Ninety
How do you change a Measurable's goal in Ninety without losing track of how you performed against the old one? Ninety's Scorecard tool (your team's weekly pulse of 5–15 Measurables, the numbers that show whether you're on track) gives you three ways to adjust a Measurable's goal beyond the default target set at creation:
Set new future Goal changes the goal from today forward and keeps past periods scored against the old goal.
Set custom Goal or note overrides the goal for one reporting period.
Forecasting lets you enter projected targets for future reporting periods.
Important: Entering a value in a future cell creates a custom goal (a forecast), not actual data. Actual scores can only be recorded once that reporting period arrives.
Owners, Admins, Managers, Coaches, and Team Members can use all three features. Observers cannot edit Measurable data (see Scorecard Permissions Explained).
Formula Builder Measurables work differently. Measurables built with the Formula Builder (previously called smart Measurables, marked with a lightning bolt ⚡ icon) support single-period custom goals, but not Set new future Goal. Their cells are also locked for forecasting unless Manual Override is turned on. To change a Formula Builder Measurable's goal, see Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable.
Setting a new permanent goal
Setting a new permanent goal with the Set new future Goal feature changes a Measurable's goal from a specific date forward while keeping past periods scored against the previous goal. When you save, Ninety updates past scores with the previous goal as a custom goal, so your historical performance is still measured against what the goal was at the time. Custom goals you already set on past periods aren't changed.
Set new future Goal isn't available for Formula Builder Measurables (marked with ⚡). Editing a Formula Builder Measurable's formula doesn't change its goal. See Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable for the steps that work instead.
To set a new permanent goal:
Click Scorecard from the left navigation.
Select your team from the Team dropdown.
Select a Scorecard tab (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual).
Right-click the Measurable's row anywhere to the left of the reporting period columns.
Select Set new future Goal from the menu.
Enter the new target in the Goal field.
(Optional) Update the goal orientation rule using the dropdown.
Click Save & Reload.
Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable
Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable (previously called a smart Measurable, marked with ⚡) takes a different approach, because the Set new future Goal option doesn't appear for these Measurables. The formula controls how the Measurable's score is calculated, not its goal, so editing the formula won't update the goal either. Instead, you change the goal directly on the Measurable's details card.
Changing the goal on the details card re-scores every past period that doesn't have a custom goal. That means past periods can turn red or green based on the new target. To keep past periods scored against the old goal, add custom goals to those periods first.
Owners, Admins, Managers, Coaches, and Team Members can set custom goals on individual periods. If the Goal field on the Measurable's details card is locked for you, ask a Manager, Admin, Owner, or Coach on the team to change it (see Scorecard Permissions Explained).
To change a Formula Builder Measurable's goal and keep past periods scored against the old goal:
Click Scorecard from the left navigation.
Select your team from the Team dropdown.
Select a Scorecard tab (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual).
Right-click a past period's cell on the Formula Builder Measurable.
Click Set custom Goal or note.
Enter the old goal as the custom goal.
Click Save.
Repeat steps 4–7 for each past period you want to keep scored against the old goal.
Click the Measurable's title to open its details card.
Enter the new target in the Goal field.
Click Save.
To change a Formula Builder Measurable's goal without preserving past periods:
Click Scorecard from the left navigation.
Select your team from the Team dropdown.
Click the Measurable's title to open its details card.
Enter the new target in the Goal field.
Click Save.
Note: Custom goals on a Formula Builder Measurable must be added one period at a time. Formula Builder cells are locked while Manual Override is off, so you can't type or paste goals into them in bulk.
Setting a custom goal for a single reporting period
Setting a custom goal for a single reporting period overrides a Measurable's goal for that one period only. Use it to account for absences, holidays, seasonal variation, or other one-time exceptions that make the standard goal temporarily inappropriate. Custom goals also preserve history: a period with a custom goal keeps that goal even if you later change the Measurable's default goal. This feature works on both standard Measurables and Formula Builder Measurables.
To set a custom goal for a single reporting period:
Click Scorecard from the left navigation.
Select your team from the Team dropdown.
Select a Scorecard tab (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual).
Right-click the cell for the reporting period you want to adjust.
Click Set custom Goal or note.
Enter the custom goal number.
Click Save.
Forecasting future values
Forecasting future values lets you enter projected targets for a Measurable's upcoming reporting periods so your team can plan ahead and visualize expected performance. To see future cells, change the Date Range dropdown to an option that extends past today. The options available depend on the Scorecard:
Weekly and Monthly Scorecards: Current Quarter or Current Year.
Quarterly Scorecards: Current Year.
Annual Scorecards: neither Current Quarter nor Current Year is available.
Note: Values entered in future cells are custom goals (forecasts), not actual data. They won't be counted as recorded scores, and they won't affect your Scorecard totals the way actual entries do. Once a forecasted period becomes current, enter actual data in that cell to record the real score.
Any value you enter in a future cell is saved as that period's custom goal. If the Measurable uses a range goal, you'll enter a minimum and maximum value for that period.
Forecasting on Formula Builder Measurables: Formula Builder Measurables (marked with ⚡) lock all their cells, including future ones, while Manual Override is off, so you can't type forecasted goals into them. Turning on Manual Override unlocks the cells, but it also lets manually entered scores replace calculated ones (see Formula Builder). To change a Formula Builder Measurable's goal without Manual Override, see Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable.
To forecast future values:
Click Scorecard from the left navigation.
Select your team from the Team dropdown.
Select a Scorecard tab (Weekly, Monthly, or Quarterly).
Click the Date Range dropdown and select Current Quarter or Current Year (Quarterly Scorecards offer Current Year only).
Click a cell representing a future date.
Enter the projected value (or minimum and maximum values for range goals).
Video: setting goals ahead for seasonality
Setting goals ahead for seasonality is easiest when you enter a whole quarter or year of custom goals in one pass, rather than right-clicking week by week. The video below walks through it.
The video covers:
Finding the future weeks. Set the date range to the current year and switch the columns to chronological order, then scroll right. Future periods are marked with an italicized header and a dark bar underneath, so you can see exactly where past ends and future begins.
Entering goals in bulk. Anything typed into a future cell is saved as that period's custom goal. Most teams do a quarter at a time and reset each quarter, or set a full year when they already know their seasonal pattern.
Getting back to your working view. Switch the date range back to the last 13 weeks and return to reverse order. When the week arrives, the custom goal is already there, and you can still right-click it to adjust it or add a note.
Rolling weekly numbers up. The View By control aggregates weeks into months, quarters, or years and is read-only. For a percentage-based Measurable, open it and change Show Rollup As to Average rather than Total, so the aggregated view reads correctly.
Two limitations worth knowing. Custom goals can't be entered from an aggregated view, so switch back to the weekly view to set them. Bulk entry also doesn't work on Formula Builder Measurables (marked with ⚡) while Manual Override is off, because their cells are locked.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I use Set new future Goal on a Formula Builder Measurable?
Set new future Goal isn't currently supported for Formula Builder Measurables (previously called smart Measurables, marked with ⚡). The option doesn't appear in the right-click menu for these Measurables. You can still change the goal and keep past periods scored against the old goal by adding custom goals to those periods first, then updating the goal on the Measurable's details card. See Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable for the steps.
Will changing a Formula Builder Measurable's goal change how past periods are scored?
Yes, for every past period that doesn't have a custom goal. Changing the goal on the Measurable's details card re-scores those periods against the new target, so their status colors can change. Periods with a custom goal keep it. To protect past periods, right-click each one, click Set custom Goal or note, and enter the old goal before you change the default goal.
Does editing a Formula Builder Measurable's formula change its goal?
No. A Measurable's formula only controls how its score is calculated. The goal is a separate field on the Measurable's details card, and it stays the same when you edit the formula.
Can I set custom goals or forecast goals on a Formula Builder Measurable?
You can set custom goals on past periods, one period at a time, by right-clicking a cell and clicking Set custom Goal or note. You can't forecast goals in future cells while Manual Override is off, because Formula Builder Measurables lock all their cells, including future ones. For the same reason, you can't type or paste goals into a Formula Builder Measurable in bulk. Turning on Manual Override unlocks the cells, but it also lets manually entered scores replace calculated ones.
What's the difference between Set new future Goal and Set custom Goal or note?
Set new future Goal changes a Measurable's goal permanently from a specific date forward and automatically keeps every earlier period scored against the previous goal. Set custom Goal or note overrides the goal for one reporting period only, which is useful for holidays, absences, or seasonal changes. Both are available from the right-click menu, but Set new future Goal isn't available for Formula Builder Measurables.
Can I set a custom goal from an aggregated view?
No. Custom goals can't be entered when the View By control aggregates periods into months, quarters, or years. Switch back to the Measurable's own reporting period (for example, the weekly view) to set or edit custom goals.
Troubleshooting
The Set new future Goal option isn't appearing when I right-click.
This option isn't available for Formula Builder Measurables (previously called smart Measurables).
Look for a lightning bolt (⚡) icon next to the Measurable's title. If it's there, the Measurable uses the Formula Builder.
Follow the steps in Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable.
If the Measurable has no ⚡ icon, check whether the View By control is aggregating periods into months, quarters, or years. The right-click goal options aren't available in an aggregated view, so switch back to the Measurable's own reporting period.
If the Measurable is shared in from another team's Scorecard, the right-click menu isn't available. Ask that team to change the goal.
Confirm you're right-clicking the Measurable's row to the left of the reporting period columns, not a score cell.
If the issue persists, contact support.
I edited my Formula Builder Measurable's formula, but the goal didn't change.
A formula only controls how the Measurable's score is calculated. It doesn't set the goal.
Click the Measurable's title to open its details card.
Update the Goal field.
Click Save.
If you want past periods to stay scored against the old goal, add custom goals to those periods first (see Changing the goal on a Formula Builder Measurable).
I can't type in future cells to forecast goals.
If the Measurable shows a lightning bolt (⚡) icon, it's a Formula Builder Measurable. Its cells are locked while Manual Override is off.
Confirm the Date Range dropdown is set to Current Quarter or Current Year on a Weekly or Monthly Scorecard, or Current Year on a Quarterly Scorecard. The other options only show past and current periods.
Annual Scorecards don't offer Current Quarter or Current Year.
Confirm the View By control isn't aggregating periods. Future cells can't be edited in an aggregated view.
If the issue persists, contact support.
My Scorecard totals look wrong after I enter values in future cells.
Values entered in future cells are custom goals, not actual scores. They're treated as forecasts and aren't counted in your Scorecard totals the way actual data is. To record actual data, wait until the reporting period begins and enter the score then.
Past cells turned red after I changed a Measurable's goal.
Changing a Measurable's default goal on its details card re-scores every past period that doesn't have a custom goal, which may cause earlier data to fall below the updated goal.
To keep past periods scored against the old goal on a standard Measurable, use Set new future Goal instead of editing the goal on the details card.
On a Formula Builder Measurable, right-click each affected past period, click Set custom Goal or note, and enter the old goal.
If the issue persists, contact support.
I set a custom goal for a period, but the cell color doesn't look right.
Custom goals change how Ninety evaluates performance for that period.
Confirm the custom goal value is correct.
Confirm the Measurable's goal orientation (for example, Greater than or equal to goal) is set correctly.
For more on how status colors work, see Customizing Your Team's Scorecards with Settings.
If the issue persists, contact support.