GOALS & ACTUALS
 

A Month-to-Date (MTD) Goals and Actual Dashboard is a powerful tool used in businesses and projects to track performance against targets within a specific month, up to the current date. This dashboard is typically updated on the 15th of each month, providing a mid-month check-in on progress towards goals. The primary purpose of this dashboard is to give owners, managers and teams a clear view of where they stand relative to their objectives, allowing for timely adjustments and decisions to ensure targets are met by month-end.

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Components of the Dashboard:

• Goals (Targets): These are predefined benchmarks set for the month, representing what the team aims to achieve. Goals can be financial (such as revenue, profit, or cost savings targets) or non-financial (such as customer acquisition, project milestones, or operational efficiencies).

• Actuals: This section reports the actual performance figures achieved from the start of the month up to the current date. It provides a real-time view of success in meeting the month's targets.

• Pacing % (Percentage): Pacing is a critical metric that indicates the rate at which goals are being met. It is calculated by taking the actual achievements to date and dividing them by the targets for the full month, then multiplying by 100 to get a percentage. This figure shows whether performance is on track, ahead, or behind relative to the time elapsed in the month.

  • For example, if the revenue goal for the month is $100,000 and by the 15th, $50,000 has been achieved, the pacing percentage is 50%. This indicates that at mid-month, the team is on track assuming a linear progression of revenue throughout the month.

• Pacing Dollars: This represents the dollar value difference between the actual performance and what should have been achieved by this point in the month to be on track to meet the monthly goals. It's calculated determining the expected performance at this point in the month (prorated goal) and subtracting the actual performance.

  • For instance, if $100,000 is the goal for the month and by the 15th (halfway through a 30-day month), the pacing dollar calculation would be: ($100,000 x 0.5) - $50,000 = $0. This means the pacing is exactly on target. A positive number indicates ahead of pace, and a negative number indicates behind pace.

 

Updating and Reviewing the Dashboard:

The dashboard is updated on the 15th of each month to provide insights into the month's performance at its halfway point. This timing is strategic because it allows enough time to make adjustments if pacing is off-target. Teams can assess whether they need to accelerate efforts or can continue at their current pace to meet or exceed monthly goals.