Dependencies and fixed dates

CeciliaKemi

Same as above..

Has anyone heard anything from Smartsheet regarding this, or will I have to start learning MS projects instead?

Mihai Nedelcu

I don't think Smartsheet will ever implement this feature and I am starting phasing it out as a PM software becasue of this and many other quirks which should be the norm in 2023.

bobfish

If Smartsheet are relying on users trying to resolve this themselves with turkey scenarios, it's pretty much a given that the company can't or won't fix it anytime soon.

DW6

Please, Smartsheet- this is so crucial. There is not a real-world project scenario that I can imagine that isn't likely to at least have some fixed dates within the plan. In addition to all the problems that have been mentioned already, it is too easy to make a change to the schedule because a task ran longer or shorter than estimated without realizing you are also changing fixed milestones as a result.

Without this functionality it is nearly impossible to "manage" a project vs. passively accepting the schedule however it turns out.

Paul Newcome

@DW6 Have you tried creating your dependencies (successors / predecessors) based on these fixed date milestones?

DW6

Yes, @Paul Newcome but if there is guidance on how to do this properly please point me to it. Here is an example of the issue: Let's say I have two tasks preceding a fixed date milestone that is three weeks away. Task 1 has an estimated duration of 1wk. Task 2 also has a duration of 1wk and its dependencies are set as SF to the milestone and FS to Task1. So far, so good as there is a 1wk gap between the two tasks.

But, let's say the situation changes and now each task will take 2 weeks. When I enter the new durations, Task 2 is now finishing a week after the fixed milestone with no indication that there is any problem. In this simple example, it is easy enough to see the issue. However in a complex project with multiple individuals working on it, there are two problems. First, it is quite challenging and non-obvious to set up the dependencies this way and to check that they are correct. Second, without the software indicating that a duration change busts the schedule, it is all too easy to miss the implications of a change.

Why would Smartsheet allow me to enter values that do not satisfy the dependencies without at least flashing a big warning that I am asking for something impossible?

Laura Leibowitz

I have to add my voice to this chorus…as a long-time MS Project jock, being able to fix dates and create dependencies is basic functionality there. Choosing between them is not a good option. I know this is SmartSheet and not MS Project (deal with it), but I find it surprising that despite years of user requests outlined above, you can't add a dependency in SmartSheet without it whacking out your dates that you want to hold fixed. Yes, I know leads and lags, but if Task A ends on the 15th and is a dependency of Task B that starts on the 20th—but then Task A slips in its delivery, it forces Task B forward when you want to put a pin in it. Been frustrated with this for years.