Set up a configurable forecast board

Who can use this: Business admin

Available on: Gong Forecast

Ideal for: RevOps

Required permissions: Forecast page access, Manage Forecast board; assign targets.

Build a configurable forecast board to set the categories, forecast period, and due date that your team members forecast against.

Before you begin

• Create the metrics and targets your board needs. You can come back and add more while you build. Learn more about managing your metrics and managing your targets in Data studio.

• Make sure your permission profile includes the permissions listed at the top of this article. Learn more about setting up access to Gong Forecast.

Good to know

• Start simple: Build a basic board first and add to it over time. Many teams begin with one board before they build others.

• Keep logic centralized: Reuse the metrics and filters you already have in Data studio instead of creating duplicates.

• Building a renewal board: Learn more about building a renewal forecast board.

Step 1: Name the board

Team members see the board name when they choose what to forecast, so give it a name they recognize. The name is required.

To name the board:

1. From the left sidebar, click Revenue, and select Forecast.

2. Open the board builder:

   • Existing board: Click the More actions icon, and select Edit board.

   • New board: Click the More actions icon, select New forecast board, and click Add board under Configurable forecast board.

3. Click Details in the left panel.

4. Enter a name in the Board name field.

5. (Optional) Enter a description in the Description field to give team members context.

Step 2: Add categories

Each category is a column on the board. Choose a type depending on whether the column should collect forecast submissions, show a metric, or show a target.

To add a category:

1. Click Categories in the left panel.

2. Click the Add category dropdown, and select a type:

   • Forecast submission: Team members enter their forecast numbers. Learn more about creating a submission column.

   • Metric: Shows a basic or formula metric. Learn more about creating a metric column.

   • Target: Shows a predefined target. Learn more about creating a target column.

3. Complete the column settings by following the article for the type you selected.

4. (Optional) Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add more categories.

5. (Optional) Drag a category in the list to change where it appears on the board.

Step 3: Set the forecast period

Choose whether team members forecast by month, by quarter, or both.

To set the forecast period:

1. Click Period in the left panel.

2. Click the Forecast period dropdown, and select Monthly and quarterly, Monthly, or Quarterly.

Step 4: Set the cadence

Set when team members are expected to submit their forecast numbers.

To set the cadence:

1. Click Cadence in the left panel.

2. Under Forecast due, click the day dropdown, and select the day.

3. Click the time dropdown, and select the time.

4. (Optional) Turn the Send a Slack notification when forecast is due toggle on or off.

   Note: Despite its label, this toggle turns reminders on or off for both Slack and the Gong app. When it is on, team members see a reminder in the Gong app starting 24 hours before the forecast is due. If your company has a Slack integration, they also get a Slack reminder 1 hour before it is due, and managers get a Slack summary 2 hours after. Learn more about the Slack integration and customizing your Gong notifications.

Step 5: Set the Company snapshot

Gong takes a snapshot of all deals and forecast numbers at the day and time you set. Team members can still update their numbers at any time.

Note:

The Company snapshot time applies to all forecast boards, not only the one you are editing.

To set the company snapshot:

1. Click Company snapshot in the left panel.

2. Click the day dropdown, and select the day.

3. Click the time dropdown, and select the time.

Note:

Forecast trends are calculated week over week from the numbers saved at the snapshot time.

Step 6: Set the drilldown view

Choose which deal fields team members see when they click a cell on the board to inspect its deals. Some fields are locked and always appear. You can remove or reorder the rest.

To set the drilldown view:

1. Click Drilldown view in the left panel.

2. Remove a field you don't need by clicking the bin icon at the end of its row.

   Note: Rows with a lock can't be removed.

3. Drag a row to change the order of the fields.

4. Click + Add column to add a field.

Step 7: Choose briefs

Briefs are AI-generated summaries that help team members catch up on a deal. The deal review brief appears in the Briefs tab of the deal panel, and the deal health brief appears in the Score tab.

To choose briefs:

1. Click Briefs in the left panel.

2. Under Deal review, set the default brief:

   • Brief: Click the dropdown, and select a brief.

   • Period: Click the dropdown, and select the time period the brief covers.

   • Scope: Select Deal or Account.

3. Under Deal health, click the Brief dropdown, and select a brief.

4. Click the Period dropdown, and select the time period the brief covers.

Note:

Team members can change the deal review settings when they inspect a deal, but they can't change the deal health settings. Learn more about managing briefs.

Step 8: Add Update CRM fields

Add the CRM fields that team members need to update. The fields appear under Update CRM when a team member clicks a deal-related cell, and what they enter syncs with the CRM.

To add an Update CRM field:

1. Click Update CRM in the left panel.

2. Click + Add field.

3. Search for the field by column name in the Search by column name field, and select it.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to add more fields.

Step 9: Set deal warnings

Deal warnings flag deals that need attention, such as deals with no recent activity or too few contacts. Each warning has its own on/off toggle and a condition you can adjust. Learn more about customizing deal warning settings.

To set deal warnings:

1. Click Warnings in the left panel.

2. Turn each warning on or off with its toggle.

3. Change the threshold in a warning's condition, for example the number of days without activity.

Step 10: Turn on analytics

Turn on analytics to add out-of-the-box reports on pipeline trends, changes, forecast accuracy, and pacing to a board. The other analytics settings are unavailable until you do.

To turn on analytics:

1. Click Analytics in the left panel.

2. Click the Turn on analytics toggle to enable it.

3. Complete the remaining analytics settings by following Set up analytics for a forecast board.

Note:

Analytics isn't supported for boards with multiple fields, opportunity teams, opportunity splits, or multi-currency. Turn analytics on only if the board tracks open versus closed-won pipeline based on consistent user, date, and amount CRM fields.

Step 11: Save the board

When the settings are complete, click Save.

After you save, you can edit, duplicate, or hide the board. Learn more about managing forecast boards.

Frequently asked questions