A forming shield arrangement configured for a windrowing work vehicle is supported for movement by a support structure. The forming shield arrangement is configured to at least partly shape a windrow of a crop material. A method of operating the forming shield arrangement includes receiving, by a processor of a control system from a memory element, a stored position setting that corresponds to a position of the forming shield arrangement relative to the support structure. The method also includes processing, by the processor, a positioning control signal based, at least in part, on the stored position setting. Moreover, the method includes changing, with an actuator, the position of the forming shield arrangement according to the positioning control signal.