How to Auto-Calculate Due Dates for workflow steps in a Project
Introduction
XTM Cloud offers automatic calculation of the due date for every single workflow step that is part of a particular workflow definition. Due dates themselves can be further modified in the project’s workflow editor. The feature facilitates project roundtrip by greatly reducing management tasks.
Instructions
Global configuration
To enable the feature in your XTM Cloud instance, take the steps below:
Go to Configuration → Settings → Projects → Due dates.
Select the Auto-calculate due dates for workflow steps checkbox (administrative privileges required!).
Do not forget to save the changes.
The feature enables you to calculate the due dates for each workflow step, based on the workflow’s start and due date. When these dates are not specified, the project creation date and delivery date are used instead. However, to use this feature, you must first configure relevant workflow definitions.
Once the feature is enabled globally, you need to set it up for relevant workflow definitions:
In Configuration → Settings, go to Workflow → Workflow definitions.
Select and edit a workflow definition.
In the workflow definition editor, you need to allocate and accurate percentage amount of the whole workflow duration to each step, according to how much time that particular step might eventually take.
The total percentage can be more or less than 100%.
Do not forget to save the changes.
Project level configuration
The feature does not work retroactively, meaning that you should apply it in newly created projects.
At the project creation stage, set up the project’s Delivery due date.
Select the Auto-calculate due dates for workflow steps checkbox.
Select a relevant workflow (or a project template which contains that workflow).
Once the project is created, go to Project Editor → Workflow, and select the Show due dates checkbox. An automatically-assigned due date is displayed for each workflow step.
Finally, go to the project’s workflow editor to further adjust the percentage or due date for a particular workflow step if either value is unsuitable.
Do not forget to save the changes.
Good to know!
You can combine the 'due date auto-calculation' feature seamlessly with other XTM Cloud options such as Auto-finish step on its due date [Configuration → Settings → Workflow → Workflow options → (administrative privileges required!)].