Progress value calculation

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Progress Value Calculation

    In ServiceNow, the progress or percentage complete value of goals is automatically calculated based on specific formulas. The calculation method varies depending on whether the goal consists solely of targets, a combination of sub-goals and targets, and whether weighted average calculation is enabled. This calculation helps customers accurately track and report on goal progress within their organization.

    Show full answer Show less

    Calculation Methods

    • Goals with only targets (no sub-goals): The progress value is the average of the progress values of all associated targets, calculated as the sum of target progress values divided by the number of targets. The Impact on goal field must be defined for each target.
    • Goals with both sub-goals and targets: The progress value is the average of the progress values of all sub-goals and targets combined, based on their individual progress values and the total count of sub-goals and targets. The Impact on parent goal and Impact on goal fields must be set appropriately.
    • Weighted average enabled for goals with targets only: When the system property sngf.weightedaverageenabled is set to Yes, the progress value is a weighted average of the targets’ progress values, using their Impact on goal values as weight scales.
    • Weighted average enabled for goals with both sub-goals and targets: Similarly, the progress value is a weighted average of the progress of all sub-goals and targets, each multiplied by their respective weight scales, divided by the total sum of weight scales.

    Practical Example

    Consider a goal G1 with two targets, T1 and T2, where the Impact on goal values are 2 and 3 respectively, and their progress values are 40% and 20%. The weighted progress calculation is:

    • Contribution of T1 = (2 / (2 + 3)) 40% = 16%
    • Contribution of T2 = (3 / (2 + 3)) 20% = 12%
    • Total progress for G1 = 16% + 12% = 28%

    This approach enables precise progress tracking by accounting for the relative impact of each target or sub-goal.

    The progress or percentage complete value of goals is auto-calculated using different formulas. The formula depends on whether the goal has only targets, a combination of sub-goals and targets, and if it has weighted average calculation enabled.

    Scenario Formula used to calculate the progress value of the goal
    • The goal has targets.
    • The goal doesn’t have sub-goals.
    • The Impact on goal field is defined for targets.
    		 Progress value of the goal = Sum of progress values of its associated targets / number of targets
    • The goal has sub-goals and targets.
    • The Impact on parent goal and Impact on goal fields are defined for sub-goals and targets respectively.
    		 Progress value of the goal = Sum of progress values of its sub-goals and associated targets / number of sub-goals and targets
    • The goal has two targets (target 1 and target 2).
    • The goal doesn’t have sub-goals.
    • The Impact on goal field is defined for targets and the sn_gf.weighted_average_enabled system property is set to Yes.
    		 Progress value of the goal = [(Progress of target 1 * Weight scale of target 1) + (Progress of target 2 * Weight scale of target 2)] / (Weight scale of target 1 + Weight scale of target 2)
    • The goal has two targets (target 1 and target 2).
    • The goal has two sub-goals (sub-goal 1 and sub-goal 2).
    • The Impact on parent goal and Impact on goal fields are defined for sub-goals and targets respectively and the sn_gf.weighted_average_enabled system property is set to Yes.
    		 Progress value of the goal = [(Progress of sub-goal 1 * Weight scale of sub-goal 1) + (Progress of sub-goal 2 * Weight scale of sub-goal 2) + (Progress of target 1 * Weight scale of target 1) + (Progress of target 2 * Weight scale of target 2)] / (Weight scale of sub-goal 1 + Weight scale of sub-goal 2 + Weight scale of target 1 + Weight scale of target 2)
    Consider a scenario where a goal (G1) has two targets (T1 and T2) and the Impact on goal field for T1 and T2 is set to 2 and 3 respectively. The current Progress values of T1 and T2 are 40% and 20% respectively. In this case, the progress value for G1 is calculated as follows:
    • Contribution of T1 towards G1 progress = 2/(2+3)*40 = 16%
    • Contribution of T2 towards G1 progress = 3/(2+3)*20 = 12%
    • Therefore, Progress of G1 = 16% +12% = 28%