I want to create individual reports to update a single Project Plan

Cheryl Crouse

I have a single project plan with several people responsible for updating the dates. To allow them to JUST focus on their parts, I have created reports by individual name that bring in all the tasks they are responsible for. However, when it comes to changing dates, if they change the duration, it doesn't change the Finish date. I do have dependencies on and predecessors and duration are associated to the Start and Finish columns. Why am I not able to update child task dates (I get not being able to update parent tasks) and have the calculations work? NOTE: the sample reports I am using do not have any predecessors loaded.

Mike Wilday

It might be that the calculations do not actually take affect until after the user saves the report and refreshes. This is one of the drawbacks of reports. The data is not automagically updated until its saved, which pushes it back into the main sheet. After saving you have to refresh the report to get the dates to update.

Try it out and let me know if that's the issue.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Cheryl Crouse,

Yes, I think Mike's assumptions are correct.

The changes won't show in the report until it's saved and refreshed, but in the sheet, it will show after the report is saved.

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as the accepted answer/helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Mike Wilday

I'm glad I could help you figure it out.

If you're a business, enterprise or premiere account holder you might consider using shared filters so that each team/member can apply the filter to see only their data?

Mike Wilday

It might be that the calculations do not actually take affect until after the user saves the report and refreshes. This is one of the drawbacks of reports. The data is not automagically updated until its saved, which pushes it back into the main sheet. After saving you have to refresh the report to get the dates to update.

Try it out and let me know if that's the issue.

Andrée Starå

Hi @Cheryl Crouse,

Yes, I think Mike's assumptions are correct.

The changes won't show in the report until it's saved and refreshed, but in the sheet, it will show after the report is saved.

I hope that helps!

Be safe and have a fantastic week!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

✅Did my post(s) help or answer your question or solve your problem? Please help the Community by marking it as the accepted answer/helpful. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

Cheryl Crouse

Thanks for the quick reply @Mike Wilday , you were exactly right! And I agree, the report method probably won't work in this circumstance since it is so helpful to be able to see real time what you durations and predecessors are doing to your schedule. It would be too cumbersome to have to hit Save and Refresh every time you made a change.

I love this community so much! I tell everyone how helpful you all are! And thank you @Andrée Starå for the confirmation.

Mike Wilday

I'm glad I could help you figure it out.

If you're a business, enterprise or premiere account holder you might consider using shared filters so that each team/member can apply the filter to see only their data?

Cheryl Crouse

Yes, we are going to use the shared filters options. Thanks!

Andrée Starå

@Cheryl Crouse

Excellent!

I'm always happy to help!

Andrée Starå

@Cheryl Crouse

Here's a quick tip that could help.

You could use the Current User feature so you'd only need one report and one filter, and it will only show the current users tasks or similar.

https://help.smartsheet.com/articles/529454-view-your-assigned-tasks

Make sense? Would that help?

Mike Wilday

@Andrée Starå Good idea. The current user filter... and you can make default view of the sheet when people see it the filter. They will be able to turn it off, but at least it would be set up from the get-go.