Give system admins an option to remove "Commit Dates" from the system.

[#1]

If you don't use commit dates and everything is based on planned dates setup by the project manager, as a system administrator you should be able to remove commit dates from the product. When commit dates are removed, no user will see them or set/change them anymore.

To be honest, most users don't even notice commit date until it starts messing with their projections. In the innovation lab there have been numerous requests to change commit date behaviour, that either haven't been implemented, or have been marked implemented when the solution doesn't actually resolve the issues users are experiencing.

The historical requests to fix commit date include:

1. Give system admins an option to remove "Commit Dates" from the system – 2100 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSAKAA4/detail

2. New Home: Admin ability to customize left side Work List – 970 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSgfAAG/detail

3. Viewing Planned Completion vs. Commit Dates – 510 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSB0AAO/detail

4. Commit Dates Approvals follow the same flow as all approvals – 180 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSaMAAW/detail

5. Ability to reject a proposed new date (commit date) – 150 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSZRAA4/detail

6. change the view for "Assigned To" view to use planned completion date instead of commit date – 100 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSG1AAO/detail

7. Home: Make Commit Date Field Editable – 90 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSmAAAW/detail

8. Provide option in set up area to turn off automatic set commit date – 70 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSlQAAW/detail

9. Allow clearing / deleting a commit date on a task – 60 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSShAAO/detail

10. Progress Status on Commit Date Later than Planned Completion Date – 70 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSlKAAW/detail

11. Allow change of commit date by PM after team member clicks "Work on it" – 60 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PSpdAAG/detail

12. Commit Date User Control – 40 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000PScwAAG/detail

13. Ability to batch update commit dates – 30 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0870z000000XiFvAAK/detail

14. Users with Manage it Access to Projects/Accepting Commit Dates – 20 points

https://one.workfront.com/s/idea/0874X000000sYLlQAM/detail

So here is one idea that address all of the above, without impacting any current instances that are actively using commit dates.

1. Under ‚ÄòSettings’, ‚ÄòProject Preferences’ there is a default setting for how projects handle commit dates. Sys admins can set this to:

· Set to planned when edited

If ‚ÄòTrue’ or enabled, (default) Workfront continues to function as it currently does

If ‚ÄòFalse’ or disabled, changing the status, percentage complete, actual start date etc does NOT populate a commit date ‚Äì the field continues to be blank

· Calculate progress status on

Commit Date (default) Workfront continues to function as it currently does

Projected Completion Date Workfront ignores commit date unless accepted by someone with manage rights to the project (which would update the planned date and thus the calculations anyway)

· Commit date editable by

If set to ‚Äòassignees’ (default) Workfront continues to function as it currently does

If set to ‚Äòassignees and project owner’ all commit dates are editable by the current project owner or the assignee(s)

If set to ‚Äòassignees and project managers’ commit dates can be edited by the assignee OR anyone with manage rights to the project

· Commit date changes approved by

If set to ‚ÄòProject Owner’ (default) all commit date approvals go to the project owner ‚Äì current functionality

If set to ‚ÄòProject Managers’ commit date approvals can be accepted or rejected by anyone with manage rights to the project

2. Under ‚ÄòProject Details’, have the same fields as ‚ÄòSettings’, ‚ÄòProject Preferences’

Note that this fields can be hidden (deselected) in layout templates, meaning if they are set a particular way in project preferences (and/or templates), sys admins can choose whether project owners can change them or not

3. If you have permission to edit the commit date, you have permission to simple delete it. Doing so will have Workfront perform the same calculation for projected completion date that it would if a commit date had never been entered.

4. If you have permission to edit the commit date, it is editable anywhere it is displayed – home page right pane, any dashboard/report, and view that includes the commit date field, task details pane etc. This includes selecting multiple tasks in a view/report and bulk editing to update or remove it.

5. Commit date becomes an option in areas dealing with dates

· A date field option on calendars

¬∑ The ‚Äòsort by’ drop-down on the home page

· Left side worklist of the home page (planned for implementation)

6. If a commit date is generated that is different to the planned completion date, it shows in the home screen along with task/issue/project status change approvals and proof approvals. The workflow is a single stage with only one approval needed, and either contains just the project owner or all people with manage rights to the project (depending on the setting in project preferences)

7. The Project owner and/or users with manage rights to the project can reject a commit date. While the commit date will still be on record, the planned completion date and progress status will NOT be based on the commit date.

[#2]

1,000% agree!!!

[#3]

If I could vote more than once for this one, I would!!!

[#4]

Double like!

[#5]

I still feel like one of the issues here is customization of the task page UI. The commit date can be a valuable tool. I do see some users interacting with it effectively and others who just don't get it no matter how many times we try to walk them through it.

The simple fact that when a user navigates to an individual task they see that commit date as the ONLY date under the assignments section is one of the biggest points of confusion. If it were a side by side comparison of DUE date vs. commit date, I think that'd make a lot more sense to users.

Turning off commit dates (which I do agree should be something that gets added so that administrators can customize based on the needs of their company) is just circumventing this task UI issue.

[#6]

Agree with David Gutzmann. Commit Date would be much more valuable if it was easier to see and understand. I still have PMs who don't even realize when their requested dates aren't accepted and have been "changed" via Commit Date. Because they don't see it, they don't accept the change or have a conversation with the team member and then there is a disconnect that only comes up once the date is missed. Yes, we can make a report to see these disconnects, but there are only so many reports people should have to look at for a given project. This is the kind of info that needs to be crystal clear right in the interface.

[#7]

Commit dates are confusing & no matter how many time I communicate this to PM's - they don't get it and miss the commit date changes. Then on the other side, we have PM's that change task planned dates - and then the task assignee doesn't realize it because they are working on commit date & not plan date.

If understand correctly now - if I remove Commit date, then the users cannot propose a new date - which we would miss.

I agree with Marc Moroz - this info needs to be crystal clear in the interface.

[#8]

This would be wonderful!! Commit dates are super confusing for users and do not seem to drive anything for our system. Our users work from the Planned Completion date, so having an old or inaccurate date visible incites panic that deadlines are in jeopardy.

[#9]

Removing Commit Dates and Working On would be great

[#10]

I don't mind commit dates as I can schedule my day to be done with a task sooner than planned in case I need more time with the task that follows. I would just like the option to leave it blank if I wanted to.

Another thing to think about is having the ability to in-line edit the commit date.

[#11]

Thank you for the idea. Due to other priorities we won’t be able to work on this during upcoming 12 months. Because of that we will mark it Not Planned, but please continue to add your comments and use cases and we may revisit this decision in the future.

Thank you!