Auto-generation duration using start AND end-date predecessors
Hello everyone!
Is there any way to define start AND end-date predecessors (e.g. 2FS, 3SS) and thereby have the duration calculation auto-generated?
Yes, i did put the exact example above into my predecessors column, but it doesn't work.
The easiest example I could give of why one would want to do this is: let's say you have someone on a termed appointment that ends on Oct. 5 (line 2), and you have a new body of work that starts on Jan 3 (line 3). It would be nice to make a "HIRE SOMEONE!" task with 2FS, 3SS predecessors (or better, 2FS-4w, 3SS).
Any help?
Comments
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This is not possible in Smartsheet.
All predecessors will either impact the start date or the end date, but the duration is always fixed. The best I can come up with is forcing a start no earlier or finish no earlier constraint, but still the duration remains fixed.
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Related to your question phrasing:
Both 2FS and 3SS impact the "HIRE SOMEONE!" (4) start date:
- can start to hire someone when the (2) contract is terminated
- can start to hire someone when the (3) work commences.
In effect, this task could begin on Jan 3.
What you really have is a Finish No Later Than criteria, which I have been unable to reproduce.
There's a couple of ways to look at these, and Smartsheet can't do them:
(3) can not start until someone is hired without risk to the task/project. It can, but it shouldn't. That implies (4) is the predecessor to (3), kind of.
No matter how (4) is tied to (2), on Oct 4th, it is satisfied - (2) has started, (2) has finished, so any of the four predecessor types are OK, and (3) therefore becomes the only pred.
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The best option is to have a task "begin hiring process" with a reminder and manually enter the dates for that task.
I hope that helps.
Craig
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Yea, that's what I've done - "begin hiring process" with a reminder and manually enter the dates for that task.
It's just unfortunate and, if any smartsheet's admin people are listening, would be a nice feature. To be clear:
IF start date is set by a predecessor, and duration is set, automatically set end date (currently possible)
Else-if end date is set by a predecessor and duration is set, automatically set start date (currently possible)
Elsei-if end date and start date are both set by predecessors, automatically set duration (currently not possible)
Thanks for the reply.
Brad
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You are welcome.
To submit a request, this is the link:
(it is also on the right side of this page)
Craig
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+1. This would be a great feature.
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