Start/Finish Date Updates based on Status - Gantt Charts

ChristiannaC

I have a Gantt Chart that my company uses to track a multi-step process. In this process, Step 2 cannot begin until Step 1 is completed, Step 3 cannot begin until Step 2 is complete, etc.. Each step normally takes 2 weeks (and this is what we have in the Duration column), but due to the number of moving pieces it can sometimes take up to 3 weeks.

We have the Gantt Chart set-up with dependencies. We have columns for Step Name, Status, Start Date, Finish Date, Duration, Predecessors, and % Complete. Is there a way to have the Step 2 Start Date be the date that Step 1 is marked "Complete" in the Status Column and so on for each step?

Ideally this would allow any delays in any one step to be reflected in the subsequent steps' Start and Finish Dates (without having to go in and manually update each rows' dates).

Mike M Consulting

I would create an automation that would trigger when the "Status" changed to Complete...with an action that "Records a Date" in the Finish date column. When this automation changes the Finish Date, your predecessors & durations should automatically change the subsequent start/finish dates.

ChristiannaC

@Mike M Consulting

It won't let me use an automation to fill in the Finish Date. I think it because I have dependencies enabled?

Were you able to make it work?

Mike M Consulting

Bummer... same result here... must be a Smartsheet constraint because you can also change dependencies to have multiple tasks finish at the same time. Looks like someone will need to manually enter the actual finish/completion date in addition to the status column. If you find a solution, please let me know.