Update start date with report

Chris Parra

Hi all a quick question from a relative newbie:

I am setting up a project sheet and want to be able to issue report updates to our outside contractors on a project. I am struggling with a feature in smartsheet. I would like to have my engineering firm provide a start date on a task with a dependency without having to create a lag (this would be outside the comfort zone for most users).

Here is my kind of goal:

Step 1: Create base design (duration 10 days)

Step 2: Complete site survey and visit (duration 5 days)

Step 3: Create permit ready drawings (duration 10 days)

The engineering firm needs to be able to tell me when they will start the site survey which could be at a minimum 10 days after starting the base design but they could realistically start it anytime after the base design is complete (i.e. doesn't have to be 10 days specifically). Right now all I can fill out in the report is % complete. I cannot let them input a start date that is beyond 10 days from the "Create base design". This doesn't make sense to me that you cannot mark when you would dedicate resources to a project. Any ideas for a workaround?

Chris

Tim Meeks

Chris,

If I understand your explanation, you are wanting the flexibility to be able to have the start date for Step 2 not be immediately after Step 1 ends.

In SS, when I move the start date of Step 2 to more than the next day, it removes the predecessor dependency from Step 1 and Step 2. In MS Project, it will warn you that you have moved the start date of Step 2 to not be immediately after Step 1 and asks you if you want to keep the link. Said another way, you want SS to allow manual scheduling instead of automatically adjusting the date.

In lieu of this feature being in SS and even though you said you don't want to have to deal with lag, the only suggestion I would have to keep the dependencies between Step 1 and Step 2 is to create a Task between the two called "Lag" or something else your team would understand. It would be populated with the duration of days between Step 1 and Step 2 and would let you keep the dependencies.

Not sure this solution will help, but it's the only thing I can think of.

Would love to hear other ideas.

Tim