Updating Project Schedule dates using Excel Spreadsheet (duration causing issues)

ToddU

I have a schedule that is thousands of lines long. I have a .xlsx file with my unique identifier (Schedule Item #) in one column, activity description, start, and end dates in my file. My Smartsheet settings are set to automatically calculate the duration of the duration in a separate column based on the start/end dates. When I run the workflow, I get an error that looks like the attached image.

When I add second columns for start and end and remap the workflow, it completes with no errors. *Edit - my initial theory was that Smartsheet was calculating either start or finish based on duration and that was causing my errors. I edited my workflow to only import the end date to minimize errors but I am still getting the same error with only importing end dates.

How do I solve for this?

prime_nathaniel

@ToddU if you are using predecessors and dependencies, you use the duration not the date fields. This is especially important when working with RM or external systems. For example, I often have to convert start end into duration and update that to get a sync between SMAR and external systems.