Tracking performance against your goals is an essential part of any business. Having the tools you need to compare target vs. actual gives you the ability to move resources, change your approach, and improve on your team’s successes over time. Salesforce offers many valuable tools to help you meet this need, including the built in Forecasting functionality and hundreds of fantastic apps on the AppExchange. But sometimes less is more, and simple form can have more function than the most detailed dashboard. You need a quick, clean, easy to understand tool for tracking performance and goals, and we’ve got a great approach for you from Jesse Lingo of Opfocus!
Start out by creating your simple Opportunity Report in Salesforce. Add any fields you think you’ll want, group it by Closed Date and group dates by Calendar Month (by clicking the little down arrow next to Closed Date), then summarize the Amount Field (you’ll want to get the Sum). Next, create a Formula called Monthly Target, set the Format to Currency, and use a Case formula to identify the target for each year or month – for more details on preparing this formula, check out the Opfocus post. Finally, add a vertical bar chart, set the Y Axis to Sum of Amount, plot additional values, and choose Monthly Target. And there you have it! A simple, clean, no-nonsense report and chart to track target vs. actual in Salesforce!
-Jared and the Salesforce Guys
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.