Method of operating an annealing furnace for annealing a metal strip, comprising the following steps: - predetermining at least one desired target material characteristic (ME Soll), such as, for example, the yield point, the tensile strength, the elongation at fracture and/or the uniform elongation, which a point or section of the metal strip is to have after transiting the annealing furnace; - providing at least one item of information about the metal strip before or in the annealing furnace; - calculating a target temperature distribution (T Soll) and/or a target speed (V Soll) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the help of a computer-supported model in dependence on the desired target material characteristic (ME Soll) and the item of information about the metal strip; and - setting the target temperature distribution (T Soll) and/or the target speed (V Soll) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the help of a furnace control as setting element; characterised by measuring the actual material characteristic (ME Ist) of the metal strip after transit through the annealing furnace, preferably at the point or section of the metal strip for which the target material characteristic is predetermined; calculating a comparative temperature distribution (T Vgl) and/or a comparative speed (V Vgl) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the help of the computer supported model in dependence on the measured actual material characteristic (ME Ist) after the transit and the provided item of information about the metal strip before or in the annealing furnace; and adapting the temperature distribution and/or the speed of the metal strip in the annealing furnace to the comparative temperature distribution (T Vgl) and/or the comparative speed (V Vgl) by suitable adaptation of the computer-supported model, wherein the adaptation of the computer-supported model is carried out only after transit of at least the entire metal strip, optionally also several metal strips, through the annealing furnace; characterised in that the step of adaptation of the computer-supported model comprises the following substeps: measuring an actual temperature distribution (T Ist) and/or an actual speed (V Ist) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace; comparing the actual temperature distribution (T Ist) with the calculated comparative temperature distribution (T Vgl) and determining a temperature difference (ΔT); comparing the actual speed (V Ist) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the comparative speed (V Vgl) and determining a speed difference (ΔV); calculating at least one suitable adaptation value (a) for adaptation of the computer-supported model on the basis of the temperature difference (ΔT) and/or the speed difference (ΔV); adapting the computer-supported model on the basis of the adaptation value (a); and recalculation of the target temperature distribution (T Soll) and/or the target speed (V Soll) of a new metal strip with the help of the adapted computer-supported model. - predetermining at least one desired target material characteristic (ME Soll), such as, for example, the yield point, the tensile strength, the elongation at fracture and/or the uniform elongation, which a point or section of the metal strip is to have after transiting the annealing furnace; - providing at least one item of information about the metal strip before or in the annealing furnace; - calculating a target temperature distribution (T Soll) and/or a target speed (V Soll) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the help of a computer-supported model in dependence on the desired target material characteristic (ME Soll) and the item of information about the metal strip; and - setting the target temperature distribution (T Soll) and/or the target speed (V Soll) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the help of a furnace control as setting element; measuring an actual temperature distribution (T Ist) and/or an actual speed (V Ist) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace; comparing the actual temperature distribution (T Ist) with the calculated comparative temperature distribution (T Vgl) and determining a temperature difference (ΔT); comparing the actual speed (V Ist) of the metal strip in the annealing furnace with the comparative speed (V Vgl) and determining a speed difference (ΔV); calculating at least one suitable adaptation value (a) for adaptation of the computer-supported model on the basis of the temperature difference (ΔT) and/or the speed difference (ΔV); adapting the computer-supported model on the basis of the adaptation value (a); and recalculation of the target temperature distribution (T Soll) and/or the target speed (V Soll) of a new metal strip with the help of the adapted computer-supported model.