Configuring Forecast and Quota Settings Deal Management Overview Pipelines & Stages Deals Module in Vtiger CRM One View in Deals Deal Revenue Line Items The Deal Room Kanban View in Deals Deal Recommendations Deal Health - A Calculus AI Feature

Feature Availability

Vtiger Editions: One Pilot | One Growth | One Professional | One Enterprise | One AI

Introduction

Forecasts and Quotas help organizations plan revenue, assign sales targets, and measure sales performance.

A forecast estimates the revenue expected from open deals based on your sales pipeline. A quota is the revenue target assigned to an individual salesperson or sales team for a specific period, such as a month, quarter, or year.

Using Forecasts and Quotas, sales managers can compare projected revenue with assigned targets, monitor sales performance, identify revenue gaps, and make informed business decisions throughout the sales cycle.

This feature is useful for:

• Sales Managers – Assign quotas and monitor team performance.
• Sales Leaders – Review pipeline health and expected revenue.
• Administrators – Configure forecast settings, hierarchies, and forecast categories.

You can access this feature by navigating to Main Menu > Sales > Forecast and Quota.

Note: While Forecasts and Quotas help you plan and track sales targets, Sales Insights provides advanced analytics to evaluate your team's sales performance. To learn more about Sales Insights, click here.

Key Features

The key features of Forecast and Quotas are:

• Forecast Hierarchy
• Forecast categories
• Forecast adjustments
• Forecast and Quota periods

Forecast Hierarchy

Determines how quotas are assigned and how forecast values are rolled up from individual sales representatives to their managers.

Before configuring forecasts and quotas, you must set up your team's forecast hierarchy.

The Forecast and Quota Hierarchy enables you to:

• Organize your sales team for forecasting.
• Assign quotas to teams and individual users.
• Roll up forecast values from team members to managers.
• Track team performance across different reporting levels.
• View consolidated forecast data for the entire sales organization.

Note: The Forecast and Quota Hierarchy is independent of the CRM's role hierarchy. Changes made to one hierarchy do not affect the other. Forecast Hierarchy is not the same as role-based hierarchy in Vtiger CRM. 

Forecast categories

In Vtiger CRM, forecast scenarios are represented as Forecast Categories. These categories are derived from your sales pipelines and sales stages, allowing you to group deals based on where they are in the sales process.

Vtiger provides the following default forecast categories:

• Pipeline
• Best Case
• Commit
• Closed Won

You can also map multiple sales stages to a single forecast category based on your organization's sales process.

Forecast adjustments

Forecast Adjustments allow authorized users to manually modify forecast values when necessary. This helps sales managers account for changes that are not automatically reflected in deal records, resulting in more accurate revenue projections.

Depending on your organization's configuration, managers can adjust forecast values for their direct reports or their entire reporting hierarchy.

Forecast and Quota Period

The Forecast and Quota Period determines the duration for which forecasts and quotas are created. You can configure the forecast period based on your organization's financial year rather than the calendar year.

You have the option of configuring the Fiscal first period based on the financial year and not the calendar year. You can configure the financial year in Settings > Company Details using the Financial Year Starts in Month field. 

Here are a few points to note:

• The difference between Calendar Quarters and Fiscal Quarters.
  • Calendar quarters correspond to the standard calendar year. This means that the first quarter always begins with January 1st and the fourth quarter ends with December 31st.  
  • Fiscal quarters coincide with a company's fiscal year – and they don't always align with a calendar year. 
• Non-standard Fiscal Quarters
  • If a company’s fiscal quarters don’t align with regular fiscal calendar years (shown above), it has non-standard fiscal quarters. Non-standard fiscal quarters are common for companies with highly seasonal revenue streams. 
  • Consider the following examples:
    • A children’s toy company may generate over half of its net revenue during Q4.
    • Apple’s fiscal quarters cover the following months:  
      • Q1: October, November, December
      • Q2: January, February, March
      • Q3: April, May, June
      • Q4: July, August, September

 

Use Case

Managing Quarterly & Annual Revenue Targets for Audio Gear

Scenario

Grasspods manufactures high-end audio equipment, including wireless earbuds, studio headphones, and speakers, for commercial clients. To keep revenue on track, Grasspods sets both Quarterly (Q3) and Annual (FY2026) revenue targets in Vtiger CRM.

• Q3 Target: $500,000
• Annual Target: $2,000,000

Process

Target Allocation:
At the beginning of the financial year, the VP of Sales sets Grasspods' Annual Quota of $2,000,000 and allocates Quarterly Quotas of $500,000 to the sales team using Forecasts and Quotas in Vtiger CRM.

Automated Forecasting:
As sales representatives move headphone and speaker deals through the sales pipeline, Vtiger automatically updates the forecasts based on the deal stages.

• Q3 Forecast: Tracks deals that are expected to close during the current quarter.
• Annual Forecast: Combines revenue from Closed Won deals in previous quarters with the forecasted revenue from open deals expected to close during the remaining financial year.

Mid-Period Analysis:
Halfway through Q3, the Sales Manager reviews the Forecast vs. Quota view to identify potential revenue gaps and take corrective action.

By reviewing this information, the Sales Manager can determine whether the team is on track to achieve its quarterly and annual revenue goals and make forecast adjustments if required.

Benefits

The benefits of using Forecast and Quotas are:

• Identifying peak and lean periods: Forecasts help recognize high and low sales periods, enabling proactive planning and resource allocation.
• Better sales pipeline management: Forecasting provides visibility into the sales pipeline, helping teams track progress and manage opportunities effectively.
• Setting expectations: Forecasts help set realistic expectations for internal teams and external stakeholders by providing visibility into future sales performance.
• Proactive planning: By considering expected peak and lean periods, businesses can prepare strategies to maximize sales opportunities and address potential challenges.
• Measuring sales performance: Quotas help evaluate the performance of sales team members based on metrics such as the number of deals closed or the revenue generated.

In this article, you will learn about:

• Navigating to Forecast and Quota Settings
• Understanding Forecast and Quota Hierarchy
• Configuring Forecast and Quota Settings
• Configuring Forecast Categories
• Enabling Forecast Adjustments
• Making Forecast Adjustments
• Setting Up Quotas
• Viewing Forecasts and Quotas
• Exporting Forecast Data

Key Terminology 

Navigating to Forecast and Quota Settings

Prerequisites

Before accessing and configuring Forecasts and Quotas, ensure that the following prerequisites are completed:

• Enable the Forecast and Quota module from Settings > Module Management.
• Configure the financial year in Settings > Company Details.
• Create the required sales team hierarchy.
• Ensure that sales pipelines and sales stages are already configured.
• Verify that you have admin privileges to access Forecast and Quota Settings.

Completing these prerequisites ensures that forecasts, quotas, and forecast categories work correctly for your sales organization.

Accessing Forecast and Quota Settings

Follow these steps  to navigate to Forecast and Quota Settings via the Settings option:

1. Log in to the CRM.
2. Click the User Menu in the top right corner.
3. Select Settings. The Settings page opens. 
4. Click Marketing & Sales > Forecast and Quota Settings. 

The Forecast and Quota Settings page opens. 

The setting is accessible only to Admin users. 

Follow these steps to access the Forecast and Quota Settings via the Forecast and Quota page:

1. Log in to the CRM
2. Click the main Menu. 
3. Go to Sales > Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
4. Click Settings. The Settings page opens.

Setting up Forecast and Quota Hierarchy 

Adding users to the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy

After creating your sales team in the CRM, add users to the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy to define reporting relationships.

Follow these steps to add users to the hierarchy:

1. Log in to the CRM
2. Click the main Menu. 
3. Go to Sales > Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
4. Click Settings. The Settings page opens. 
5. Open the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy tab.
6. Drag and drop users from the Users panel to the hierarchy to build your reporting structure.

The selected user's name is displayed in the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy. 

Removing Users from the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy

If your reporting structure changes, you can remove users from the hierarchy.

Follow these steps to remove a user:

1. Log in to the CRM
2. Click the main Menu. 
3. Go to Sales > Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
4. Open the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy tab.
5. Hover over the user's name.
6. Click Delete.

The selected user is removed from the hierarchy.

Notes:

• Removing a user from the hierarchy does not delete the CRM user account.
• You can add the user back to the hierarchy at any time.
• Only Admin users can modify the Forecast and Quota Hierarchy.

Configuring Forecast and Quota Settings

Before you assign quotas to your sales team, you must configure the Forecast and Quota Settings such as forecast period, categories, and adjustment options. 

Configuring the Forecast and Quota Period

The Forecast and Quota Period determines the duration for which forecasts and quotas are created. You can configure the forecast period based on your organization's financial year rather than the calendar year.

You can configure the following fields related to the forecast and quota period.

 

Follow these steps to configure the financial year:

1. Log in to the CRM. 
2. Click User Menu. 
3. Select Settings. The Settings page opens. 
4. Click Company Details. The Company Details page opens. 
5. Click Edit. The Editing Financial year page opens. 
6. Enter the month in Financial Year Starts in Month field.
7. Click Save. 

The updated Financial Year month is updated on the Company Details page. 

Configuring Forecast Adjustments

As a sales manager, you can make adjustments to forecasts and set up or revise quotas on the following:

• Direct Report’s Deals: Can make adjustments to the deal amounts of direct reportees.
• Direct reports and their subordinates’ Deals: Can make adjustments to the deal amounts of direct reportees and subordinates or the reportees.

For example, you can make adjustments in deal amounts that were won or lost by a team member.

Enabling adjustments

Before you try to make adjustments to forecasts, you must enable adjustments.

Follow these steps to enable adjustments:

1. Log in to the CRM. 
2. Click the main Menu.
3. Go to Sales.
4. Select Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
5. Click Settings on the top right of the page. The Settings page opens. 
6. Click the Configuration tab.
7. Enable the checkbox for forecast categories under the Adjustable column under the Forecast Category block.

Setting up Adjustments

As a sales manager or admin user, you cannot make adjustments to deal amounts assigned to you.

Follow these steps to make adjustments to deal amounts:

1. Log in to the CRM. 
2. Click the main Menu.
3. Go to Sales.
4. Select Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens.
5. Click on a deal amount displayed in a forecast category column in the Forecast Summary table.
6. Hover on a row and click the Edit icon under the Adjusted Amount column. 
7. Enter the adjusted (new) amount. 
8. Click the checkmark.

Forecast Category 

Below are the default forecast categories and the sales stage mapping in Vtiger CRM.

 

 

Note: The forecast category Closed Won cannot be deleted.

Other actions you can perform on forecast categories

• Mapping forecast categories: You can add more forecast categories by clicking Map Forecast Category.  
• Deleting forecast categories: Click the Delete icon under the Adjustable column to delete a forecast category.
• Viewing unmapped sales stages: Sales stages in the pipeline that have not been mapped to any forecast category are displayed in the block beside the forecast category block. 
• Adding new picklist values to a Sales Stage.

Setting up Quotas

As a sales manager or an Admin user, you can set up or revise forecasts and quotas for your sales team after you have configured it. A user can set or revise quotas only if they have users reporting to them. Forecasts and quotas are set up for the forecast period. To learn how to configure forecast hierarchy and categories, click here.

Follow these steps to set up forecasts and quotas:

1. Log in to the CRM.
2. Click the main Menu.
3. Go to Sales.
4. Select Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
5. Click +Set or Revise Team’s Quota. 
6. Click the drop-down shown on the top-left to select a team.
7. Enter the individual and team quotas under the Set Quota column.
8. Click Save. 

 Important Notes:

• In the drop-down on the left, you can click on a user or team to view their respective quotas.
• The manager’s quota is the revenue that the manager and team are expected to generate together.
• A user (Standard or Admin) can see the +Set or Revise Quota button only if they have other users reporting to them. Otherwise, the button is hidden.
• Enabling the Notify team via Email toggle button on the top-right sends an email notification to users when their quotas are revised. When team quotas are revised, a notification is sent to all the team members.
• Target Mismatch - When the team quota and the sum of quotas of all the team members mentioned in the Quota column do not match, there will be a target mismatch. Target Mismatch is negative if the team quota is higher than the sum of the team members’ quotas; otherwise, it is positive. 
• Admins can:
  • Set Targets to Quotas for all users in the team.
  • View the target vs. achieved.
  • Revise set targets.

Setting or Revising Quotas

As a sales manager or an Admin user, you can set or revise forecasts and quotas for your sales team after you have configured it. A user can set or revise quotas only if they have users reporting to them.

To learn how to configure forecast hierarchy and categories, click here.

Note: Forecasts and quotas are set up for the forecast period and hierarchy that are configured in Forecast and Quota Settings.

Follow these steps to set up forecasts and quotas:

1. Log in to the CRM.
2. Click the main Menu.
3. Go to Sales.
4. Select Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
5. Click +Set or Revise Team’s Quota. 
6. Click the drop-down shown on the top-left to select a team.
7. Enter the individual and team quotas under the Set Quota column.
8. Click Save. 

Note:

• In the drop-down on the left, you can click on a user or team to view their respective quotas.
• The manager’s quota is the revenue that the manager and team are expected to generate together.
• A user (Standard or Admin) can see the +Set or Revise Quota button only if they have other users reporting to them. Otherwise, the button is hidden.
• Enabling the Notify team via Email toggle button on the top-right will send an email notification to users when their quotas are revised. When team quotas are revised, a notification is sent to all the team members.

Viewing Forecasts and Quotas

After setting up the hierarchy, forecast periods, categories, and quotas, you can use the Forecast and Quota page to monitor forecasted revenue and sales performance. 

Forecast Summary

The Forecast Summary table provides an overview of forecast periods, quotas, forecast categories, gaps, and pipeline values. You can also adjust forecast amounts from the Forecast Summary when forecast adjustments are enabled.

Key Metrics

The following metrics are displayed above the Forecast Summary table: 

  

The Gap helps you identify whether the sales team is above or below the assigned quota:

• A positive Gap indicates that the quota is greater than the Closed Won amount.
• A negative Gap indicates that the Closed Won amount is greater than the quota.
• Gap values are not displayed for future months.

Using Forecast and Quota Filters

You can filter forecast and quota data based on the financial period, forecast type, currency, and other criteria.

Click Filters on the top-right of the Forecast and Quota page and select the required values.

 

Exporting Forecast Data

Exporting quota details allows users to download quota-related information from the CRM, making it easier to analyze, share, and maintain records of sales targets and performance data.

Exporting Forecast records

Export the Forecast Summary as a CSV file by selecting the Export Forecasts option from the Export drop-down. The exported file contains details such as forecast periods, forecast categories, and forecast amounts for individuals and teams. It is similar to the Forecast Summary table in the CRM.

Note: You cannot import forecasts or quotas into Vtiger CRM.

To learn more about exporting records, click here.

Follow these steps to export the forecast records:

1. Log in to the CRM.
2. Click the main Menu.
3. Go to Sales.
4. Select Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
5. Click Export. 
6. Select Export Forecast and Quota. 

The exported records are downloaded as an Excel file and saved in your local system. 

Exporting Deals and Forecasts records:

You can export forecasts and details of their related deals as a CSV file by selecting the Export Deals option from the Export drop-down. The exported file does not contain team forecast amounts.

Follow these steps to export Deals and Forecast records:

1. Log in to the CRM.
2. Click the main Menu.
3. Go to Sales.
4. Select Forecast and Quota. The Forecast and Quota page opens. 
5. Click Export. 
6. Select Export Deal. 

The exported records are downloaded as an Excel file and saved in your local system. 

Troubleshooting Forecast and Quota Issues

When forecast values, quota allocations, or revenue targets do not align as expected, use the following troubleshooting tips to identify and resolve common issues.

Deals Are Missing from the Forecast

Possible Cause:

• The deal’s Expected Close Date falls outside the selected Forecast Period.
• The deal’s Sales Stage is not mapped to an active Forecast Category.

Resolution:

• Verify that the Expected Close Date on the deal record falls within the selected forecast period.
• Ensure that the deal’s Sales Stage is assigned to an active Forecast Category (Pipeline, Best Case, or Commit) under Settings > Forecast Settings.

Quotas Are Not Showing for Sales Representatives

Possible Cause:

• Incorrect Forecast Hierarchy configuration.
• Quota is not assigned for the selected period.

Resolution:

• Verify that the sales representative is assigned to the correct role hierarchy under Settings > Users & Access Control.
• Confirm that a quota is assigned for the required period (Quarterly or Annual) under Sales > Forecast & Quota > Assign Quotas.

The +Set or Revise Quota Button Is Not Visible

Possible Cause:

• The user does not have any users reporting to them.

Resolution:

• Ensure that the user has reporting members under them.
• The +Set or Revise Quota button is available only for users (Standard or Admin) who have other users reporting to them.

Team Quota and Individual User Quotas Do Not Match

Possible Cause:

• The sum of individual user quotas does not match the team quota, resulting in a Target Mismatch.

Resolution:

• Review the quotas assigned to team members.
• Ensure that the total of all team member quotas matches the team quota.

Target Mismatch Shows a Negative Value

Possible Cause:

• The team quota is higher than the combined quotas of team members.

Resolution:

• Increase the individual user quotas or revise the team quota to match the expected target.

Target Mismatch Shows a Positive Value

Possible Cause:

• The combined quotas of team members are higher than the team quota.

Resolution:

• Reduce individual user quotas or increase the team quota to resolve the mismatch.

Users Are Not Receiving Email Notifications After Quota Revisions

Possible Cause:

• The Notify team via Email toggle button is disabled.

Resolution:

• Enable the Notify team via Email toggle button before revising quotas.
• Verify that users receive notifications after quota changes.

Total Forecast Amount Does Not Match Expected Revenue

Possible Cause:

• Manager Overrides are applied.
• Forecast calculations are based on different probability settings.

Resolution:

• Check whether Manager Overrides have been applied to deals or forecast category totals.
• Verify whether the forecast uses:
  • Gross Pipeline – Total value of deals.
  • Weighted Pipeline – Deal value multiplied by the win probability percentage.

Target vs. Achieved Values Are Not Displayed

Possible Cause:

• Quotas are not assigned, or required sales data is unavailable.

Resolution:

• Ensure quotas are set for users or teams.
• Verify that deals contain the required revenue information for comparison.

Historical Quota Data Changes Unexpectedly

Possible Cause:

• Fiscal year dates were modified.
• User roles were reassigned during an active period.

Resolution:

• Avoid modifying the Fiscal Year Start Date after historical periods are locked.
• Handle role changes at the end of a financial period to prevent reporting inconsistencies.

Unable to View User or Team Quotas

Possible Cause:

• The required user or team is not selected.

Resolution:

• Select the required user or team from the drop-down on the left side of the Quota page to view their quota details

Reference

Deal Management Overview
Deal Module in Vtiger CRM

Finding Duplicate Records Using the Employee Portal Settings - Set up your Support Team Configuring Module Settings Creating Marketing Lists for Campaigns