How to Forecast and Set Custom Goals in Ninety
How do you change a KPI's goal in Ninety without losing track of how you performed against the old one? Ninety's Data tool gives you three ways to adjust a KPI'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.
Goal 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 KPI data (see Scorecard Permissions Explained).
Formula Builder KPIs work differently. KPIs built with the Formula Builder (previously called smart KPIs, marked with a lightning bolt ⚡ icon) support single-period custom goals, but not Set new future Goal. Their cells are also locked for goal forecasting unless Manual Override is turned on. To change a Formula Builder KPI's goal, see Changing the goal on a Formula Builder KPI.
Setting a new permanent goal
Setting a new permanent goal with the Set new future Goal feature changes a KPI'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 KPIs (marked with ⚡). Editing a Formula Builder KPI's formula doesn't change its goal. See Changing the goal on a Formula Builder KPI for the steps that work instead.
To set a new permanent goal:
Click Data from the left navigation.
Choose your team from the dropdown.
Choose a Scorecard (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual).
Right-click the KPI'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 KPI
Changing the goal on a Formula Builder KPI (previously called a smart KPI, marked with ⚡) takes a different approach, because the Set new future Goal option doesn't appear for these KPIs. The formula controls how the KPI'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 KPI'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 KPI'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 KPI's goal and keep past periods scored against the old goal:
Click Data from the left navigation.
Choose your team from the dropdown.
Choose a Scorecard (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual).
Right-click a past period's cell on the Formula Builder KPI.
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 KPI's title to open its details card.
Enter the new target in the Goal field.
Click Save.
To change a Formula Builder KPI's goal without preserving past periods:
Click Data from the left navigation.
Choose your team from the dropdown.
Click the KPI's title to open its details card.
Enter the new target in the Goal field.
Click Save.
Note: Custom goals on a Formula Builder KPI 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 KPI'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 KPI's default goal. This feature works on both standard KPIs and Formula Builder KPIs.
To set a custom goal for a single reporting period:
Click Data from the left navigation.
Choose your team from the dropdown.
Choose a Scorecard (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.
Goal forecasting
Goal forecasting lets you enter projected targets for a KPI'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 KPI uses a range goal, you'll enter a minimum and maximum value for that period.
Goal forecasting on Formula Builder KPIs: Formula Builder KPIs (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 KPI's goal without Manual Override, see Changing the goal on a Formula Builder KPI.
To forecast future goals:
Click Data from the left navigation.
Choose your team from the dropdown.
Choose a Scorecard (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).
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I use Set new future Goal on a Formula Builder KPI?
Set new future Goal isn't currently supported for Formula Builder KPIs (previously called smart KPIs, marked with ⚡). The option doesn't appear in the right-click menu for these KPIs. 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 KPI's details card. See Changing the goal on a Formula Builder KPI for the steps.
Will changing a Formula Builder KPI'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 KPI'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 KPI's formula change its goal?
No. A KPI's formula only controls how its score is calculated. The goal is a separate field on the KPI'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 KPI?
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 KPIs lock all their cells, including future ones. For the same reason, you can't type or paste goals into a Formula Builder KPI 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 KPI'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 KPIs.
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 KPI'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 KPIs (previously called smart KPIs).
Look for a lightning bolt (⚡) icon next to the KPI's title. If it's there, the KPI uses the Formula Builder.
Follow the steps in Changing the goal on a Formula Builder KPI.
If the KPI 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 KPI's own reporting period.
If the KPI 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 KPI'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 KPI's formula, but the goal didn't change.
A formula only controls how the KPI's score is calculated. It doesn't set the goal.
Click the KPI'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 KPI).
I can't type in future cells to forecast goals.
If the KPI shows a lightning bolt (⚡) icon, it's a Formula Builder KPI. 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 KPI's goal.
Changing a KPI'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 KPI, use Set new future Goal instead of editing the goal on the details card.
On a Formula Builder KPI, 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 KPI's goal orientation (for example, Greater than or equal to goal) is set correctly.
If the issue persists, contact support.