How can I get the Projected Completion Date of a specific task up to a Project Level custom form?

[ryanbrogz]

Our organization has a specific task that ends up being more critical than the actual closure of the overall project. I'd like to bring the projected completion date of that task "up" to a project level custom form so I can use it easier on reports - for filtering, sorting, grouping, etc. I'd think I can use a task name contains, though equals would work too.

Below are some examples I've tried, but are giving me an error, so I'm not sure what the specific calculation would be. Has anyone had to do something similar before, or can you tell me where I'm going wrong?

IF(CONTAINS("TASK NAME",{name}), {Projected Completion Date})

IF(CONTAINS("TASK NAME",{task}.{name}), {Projected Completion Date})

[NicholeVargas]

@Ryan Brogneri‚ Because there are multiple tasks associated with a project, they are considered a collection. Currently, collections cannot be referenced in a calculated field - you can only reference objects that are higher in hierarchical order. So, for example, on a project custom form you can reference program or portfolio information but not task.

You can, however, pull this specific task's projected completion date into a project report, or into a column in your project list using text mode:

displayname=(customizable column name)

listdelimiter=<p>

listmethod=nested(tasks).lists

textmode=true

type=iterate

valueexpression=IF({name}="task name here",{projectedCompletionDate},"")

valueformat=atDate

If you have any questions, let me know!

[ryanbrogz]

Thanks, I appreciate the reply! I have that part working in some other reports, probably after coming to the WF community here! The problem is that I can't sort or filter if I reference the task collection on a project level report - I can only display it and that's all.

Is it possible to write the projected date to a task level custom form and then reference that custom form field at the project level? I've seen something somewhat similar in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df2sK6dg2k4 but that's for issues and I need it for tasks, so it doesn't appear to be working for me. In short, I know how to push info "down" the hierarchy using custom forms, I just don't know how to pull information "up".

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

Hi Ryan,

Your observation that "you can go down, but not up" is correct, and immutable. To store the information you need at the Project level, you'll either need to type it in (which is a good way to start, and confirm that it is then as valuable as you hope), and/or use something like Fusion or our UberCalc solution to then automatically do so.

Regards,

Doug

[JeremiahBo]

I have this same need, but don't plan on purchasing either of the add ons. Is there no work around? . . . Can I reference a project milestone planned start date instead?

[ryanbrogz]

I tried that too and wasn't having much luck there either, but I personally haven't used Milestones a great deal.

My workaround thus far has been to use a Task report to "fake" a Project report and that seems to be OK. I've pushed program+project level information down into a task level custom form section that I have hidden, so only admins see it. I'm then using that calculated information to build out my "faked" Project report, using the specific task that ends up being more critical than the actual end of our project.

[JeremiahBo]

Ryan, this sounds like it might meet the need I have. . . How are you pushing the project custom form data into the task custom form? When i use calculated field, I only see task fields . . . is there a syntax I need to use to pull in the project custom field? something like {project}.{DE:fieldname}?

[ryanbrogz]

On your Task level custom form, add a calculated field and your calculation should just be Project.YOUR FIELD NAME to pull information down from your Project level to the Task level. You can do the same for Program to Project too. Don't forget to click that Update in Background button as you're messing with the calculation so you can verify it looks right on the task itself. I tend to just blow away the form and re-add it when I'm double checking a calculation.

Then, if you'd like, you can hide those calculation fields by adding a Section to your custom form, and adjusting the view/edit access of that Section.

Let me know if that helps or if you have any follow ups, I'm not sure I stated it the clearest or not.

[JeremiahBo]

This is working great for what I am trying to do. . . . If I could take it one more step to solve some edge cases . . . is it possible to pull a task field from a different task into a the task custom form? . . Ex. Pull the Duration from Task 2 into the custom form on Task 1?

[ryanbrogz]

I'm not sure of that answer to that one, I suspect it's a no on a custom form but you could probably get that on a report if task 1 is a predecessor of task 2. Then build the task level report around task 2 while displaying predecessor details as columns as well.

Another idea is you could build a Project level report that references task information if that met your need. Here is the snippet to reference task info on a project level report for duration:

displayname=COLUMN NAME

listdelimiter=&zwj;

listmethod=nested(tasks).lists

textmode=true

type=iterate

valueexpression=IF(CONTAINS("TASK NAME",{name}),{durationMinutes})

valueformat=shortDate

[NicholeVargas]

Currently, there are no automatic workarounds so to pull this (task specific data) into a project level custom form, it would need to be done so manually. Same thing with milestone planned start date, as milestones are a collection of project > milestone paths.

We understand this limitation within custom forms and reporting and are hoping to resolve that with updated reporting functions in future releases!

[TealeMcCleaf]

You can use the milestone ID to capture the Planned Completion Date. It's actually cleaner because when you use the task name, it can't be changed or it breaks the reporting.

Here's an example of where I use the task milestone ID to get the planned completion date of a task in a project level report.

displayname=ESA Date

listdelimiter=<li>

listmethod=nested(tasks).lists

textmode=true

type=iterate

valueexpression=IF({milestoneID}="5ef679ed00b5871bbc0de47b45f9da82",{plannedCompletionDate})

valueformat=HTML

width=50

Hope this helps,

Teale