Is there any way to inactivate a task in Smartsheet?

Erik123

I'd like to see what dates, etc. look like with and without a task or set of tasks included in my project. In other software I would inactivate the task or tasks. How can I do something similar in Smartsheet?

Genevieve P.

Hi @Erik123

There currently isn't a way to toggle on certain rows as "Active" or "Inactive" in a Project Sheet. You could use Conditional Formatting for a visual representation in the sheet, but it won't affect your Gannt chart or the way that tasks follow after each other.

What I would personally do in this scenario is set up a Baseline on this sheet to lock in my original planned Start and End dates. Then you could adjust your actual tasks, the ones you don't necessarily need, to be Milestones with a duration of 0, linked to a task above.

Then all of your following rows will adjust based on following after the task above your "milestones" and you can compare the two timelines in the Gantt view with the Baseline Line showing you the previously planned tasks. See: Set Baselines on a Project Sheet and Keep Your Projects on Track with Baselines

Cheers,

Genevieve

James Keuning

Do you mean you are using dependencies and you want to see how the schedule is impacted by removing activities?

Erik123

Yes, I am using dependencies and have a set of tasks that are related and I'd like to see what the schedule would look like if we didn't have to do those set of tasks. So, I have a project with tasks for making component A and component B in the project, with multiple tasks for component A and B. I'd like to be able to easily answer the question of "When would the project be done if we didn't make component B." without having to take the component B tasks out or make all of the component B tasks zero duration.

James Keuning

@Paul Newcome mentions an approach in this older thread, I am not sure how it is accomplished:

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/39721/make-tasks-inactive

Erik123

I can envision how the conditional formatting could work. And adding a column for enable/disable of tasks. But making that impact essentially the duration of the tasks is what I can't figure out now. I actually started a new discussion regarding exactly that question, trying to be more specific in my question to the Community:

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/88719/how-can-i-use-a-calculated-duration-that-uses-my-own-formula

Thanks,

Erik

Genevieve P.

Hi @Erik123

There currently isn't a way to toggle on certain rows as "Active" or "Inactive" in a Project Sheet. You could use Conditional Formatting for a visual representation in the sheet, but it won't affect your Gannt chart or the way that tasks follow after each other.

What I would personally do in this scenario is set up a Baseline on this sheet to lock in my original planned Start and End dates. Then you could adjust your actual tasks, the ones you don't necessarily need, to be Milestones with a duration of 0, linked to a task above.

Then all of your following rows will adjust based on following after the task above your "milestones" and you can compare the two timelines in the Gantt view with the Baseline Line showing you the previously planned tasks. See: Set Baselines on a Project Sheet and Keep Your Projects on Track with Baselines

Cheers,

Genevieve