Due Date Automation for Tasks

Hello:

I have 2 quick questions regarding how to best automate/populate dates for project management timelines.

  1. Is there a feature (or formula) within Smartsheets that allows you to specify if a task is a reoccurring item? For example, if on the last Friday of every month, we are to pull a client report, how do I set that automation in a way that the due date auto-populates month-to-month?
  2. On a similar vein, is there an easy method to auto-populate due dates for tasks based on time increments? For example, if a post-event thank you note should go out the next business day after an event occurs - how do I initiate that automation in a way that the task due date populates based on the event date and falls on a business day?

Thank you in advance for any insight, and please let me know if I can provide further clarification on these questions.

Jessica

Best Answer

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    @Jessica Zell

    Nice to e-meet you as well!

    Here's a short description.

    • Add a so-called helper column, Frequency where you add the different frequency options
    • Add a Workflow, When a date is reached and then configure a custom recurrence matching the frequency
    • Also add a Condition to check for the Frequency helper column
    • And the last step in the Workflow, add a Record a date step
    • Add Workflows for every Frequency
    • You can also add a check for a a starting date, deadline and more

    Make sense?

    Would that work/help?

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

Answers

  • Bassam Khalil
    Bassam Khalil ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @Jessica Zell

    Hope you are fine, Could you please add a screenshot for your sheet after removing any sensitive data.

    PMP Certified

    bassam.khalil2009@gmail.com

    ☑️ Are you satisfied with my answer to your question? Please help the Community by marking it as an ( Accepted Answer), and I will be grateful for your "Vote Up" or "Insightful"

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    Hi @Jessica Zell

    I hope you're well and safe!

    I recently developed a similar solution for a client.

    I'll get back to the post and give a short description.

    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 support the Community by marking it Insightful/Vote Up or/and as the accepted answer. It will make it easier for others to find a solution or help to answer!

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

  • Jessica Zell
    Jessica Zell ✭✭
    edited 07/21/21

    Hi @Bassam Khalil,

    Thank you for the quick reply! I do not have the sheet built out.

    I am simply wondering if there's an easy way in Smartsheets to set up reoccurring due dates (meaning the date would automatically update on own according to the timeframe it's due - i.e. 1st of the month, 15th of the month, etc.)

    I am also curious if there's a way to auto-populate due dates depending on when a predecessor date is listed. For example, if we have an event occurring this Friday and a post-event thank you note is supposed to go out 24-48 hours after, it would be great for this due date to auto-populate to Monday (i.e. the next available business day). In reverse, if a registration reminder is supposed to go out 60-90 days before the event date, then that due date would also auto-populate.

    Happy to provide more info/examples for clarity. I sincerely appreciate your support!

    -Jessica

  • Bassam Khalil
    Bassam Khalil ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @Jessica Zell

    Yes it can be done, if need any help to build this system I will be happy to help you. Please call .

    My Email: bassam.k@mobilproject.it

    PMP Certified

    bassam.khalil2009@gmail.com

    ☑️ Are you satisfied with my answer to your question? Please help the Community by marking it as an ( Accepted Answer), and I will be grateful for your "Vote Up" or "Insightful"

  • Hi @Andrée Starå,

    Nice to meet you. That would be AMAZING.

    Marketing calendars can be tedious since due dates are established in a variety of different ways (i.e. based on frequency, time of the month, once another date is reached, etc.) I wish Smartsheets had a more simplified way to populate reoccurring dates and deadlines that are "backed out" or "future forward" based on an occurrence.

    Trying to centralize everything into one view!

    Best,

    Jessica

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    Answer ✓

    @Jessica Zell

    Nice to e-meet you as well!

    Here's a short description.

    • Add a so-called helper column, Frequency where you add the different frequency options
    • Add a Workflow, When a date is reached and then configure a custom recurrence matching the frequency
    • Also add a Condition to check for the Frequency helper column
    • And the last step in the Workflow, add a Record a date step
    • Add Workflows for every Frequency
    • You can also add a check for a a starting date, deadline and more

    Make sense?

    Would that work/help?

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

  • Hi @Andrée Starå!

    This methodology is very helpful, thank you! I will do some experimenting. Do you happen to have a dummy sheet or screenshots to reference incorporating this?

    Thank you so much for the help. I hope Smartsheets will continue to improve their set templates/dashboards for multi-use marketing purposes.

    -Jessica

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭

    @Jessica Zell

    You're more than welcome, and thanks for the kind words!

    It's part of a client solution, so I can't share it as is, but I'd be happy to share a simplified example. 

    Please send me an email at andree@workbold.com, and I'll share it with you.

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

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

  • Thank you @Andrée Starå! I sent you an email.

  • Andrée Starå
    Andrée Starå ✭✭✭✭✭✭
    edited 07/23/21

    @Jessica Zell

    I'll get back to you before the weekend!

    SMARTSHEET EXPERT CONSULTANT & PARTNER

    Andrée Starå | Workflow Consultant / CEO @ WORK BOLD

    W: www.workbold.com | E:andree@workbold.com | P: +46 (0) - 72 - 510 99 35

    Feel free to contact me for help with Smartsheet, integrations, general workflow advice, or anything else.

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