Operating method for a portion of a hot rolling mill, - wherein a control device for the portion of the hot rolling mill is supplied with respective primary data for a plurality of rolling materials and respective provisional setpoints (Z*) for target variables of the respective rolling material, - wherein the respective primary data describes the respective rolling material before being supplied to the portion of the hot rolling mill, and the respective provisional setpoints (Z*) of the target variables describe a desired nominal state of the respective rolling material after passing through the portion of the hot rolling mill, - wherein the control device determines operating values for the portion of the hot rolling mill such that the respective rolling material, after passing through the portion of the hot rolling mill, reaches definitive setpoints (Z'*) of the target variables as well as possible, - wherein during processing of the respective rolling material, the control device operates the portion of the hot rolling mill according to the determined operating values, - wherein at least one of the target variables is a particular target variable, and the remaining target variables are normal target variables, - wherein the control device, for the normal target variables, uses the respective provisional setpoint (Z*) unchanged as the respective definitive setpoint (Z'*), characterized in that - the control device determines the respective definitive setpoint (Z'*) for the particular target variables in that it changes the respective provisional setpoint (Z*) by a respective offset (δZ) which is determined independently of the primary data, the other particular target variables and the normal target variables for the respective rolling material, and also independently of the operating values of the hot rolling mill determined for processing the respective rolling material, and - the offsets, with respect to the respective particular target variable, have multiple different values when all the rolling materials are viewed as a whole. - wherein a control device for the portion of the hot rolling mill is supplied with respective primary data for a plurality of rolling materials and respective provisional setpoints (Z*) for target variables of the respective rolling material, - wherein the respective primary data describes the respective rolling material before being supplied to the portion of the hot rolling mill, and the respective provisional setpoints (Z*) of the target variables describe a desired nominal state of the respective rolling material after passing through the portion of the hot rolling mill, - wherein the control device determines operating values for the portion of the hot rolling mill such that the respective rolling material, after passing through the portion of the hot rolling mill, reaches definitive setpoints (Z'*) of the target variables as well as possible, - wherein during processing of the respective rolling material, the control device operates the portion of the hot rolling mill according to the determined operating values, - wherein at least one of the target variables is a particular target variable, and the remaining target variables are normal target variables, - wherein the control device, for the normal target variables, uses the respective provisional setpoint (Z*) unchanged as the respective definitive setpoint (Z'*), characterized in that - the control device determines the respective definitive setpoint (Z'*) for the particular target variables in that it changes the respective provisional setpoint (Z*) by a respective offset (δZ) which is determined independently of the primary data, the other particular target variables and the normal target variables for the respective rolling material, and also independently of the operating values of the hot rolling mill determined for processing the respective rolling material, and - the offsets, with respect to the respective particular target variable, have multiple different values when all the rolling materials are viewed as a whole.