Is there a workaround to force calendar to ALWAYS show Planned dates?

[BenettaPe]

Is there a workaround to force calendar to always show Planned dates? I have our team calendar's to show planned dates - for future planning purposes. However, if that task status is changed to completed - then that task entry on the calendar automatically moves on the calendar to the actual completed date. We don't want the tasks to be moved to any actual dates on the calendar - as we want the calendar to be a true PLANNING calendar. Any work around for this? We can always leave the tasks status as "not started" - this works, however, it keeps that project in an active state. If the tasks move forward to an actual date - that is confusing as the employee will think it is a 'new' date as project dates do change. This is just another reason - we don't want those entries moving on the calendar. Thanks for any workarounds out there.

[KatherineHa1]

Not that we are aware of, but we don't use the calendars much b/c of this 'feature' (actual dates trumping planned!).

[MartyGa]

We're in the same boat. This is the one area that causes a lot of poblems for us in using a PTO calendar (TIme Off) instead of the native time off feature. We have a PTO Project for a group, where a user creates a request, with an approval attached that goes to his or her manager. Once approved, the time off shows up in the resource grid for as allocated time (rather than a lowering of available capacity). It also allows the team to see all the PTO in a PTO Calendar that is in their layout template. The drawback is once the person has taken the time off, if they dont set the actual dates to match the planned, the historic value of the calendar goes away. This can also happen if the person "works on it" or marks it as complete in advance of their vacation without changing the actual dates.

[MartyGa]

Another option you may choose is to use the GANTT view of a task list instead of a calendar report. There you can select the planned dates. Set up a task report, choose your filter, then click REPORT SETTINGS in the upper right and click the checkbox for Show GANTT view on the details tab.Not quite as pretty, but may offer an alternative.

[AnthonyIm]

One thing to point out, Gantt only works for tasks. Our PTO requests are issues so Gantt wasn't an option.

We have just been using a list view for PTO (sorted Completion Date and then by Start Date to make it easier to read) because of this calendar issue.

Another idea I've talked to some department heads about: Using the User Utilization area in People -> Resource Planning area. We created a filter for their direct reports (or team in some cases) and then they put on the left hand side just the PTO/OOTO project so those are the only hours showing. This kind of shows them when people are taking off.

I've attached the example I used for one of the directors. It was great because we realized one of the people double booked their vacation.

[DavidCo3]

We would also dearly love to be able to switch off Actual Dates in the calendars, as it is very confusing for users. No workaround really, other than what has been suggested which is not to use the calendar. The only additional suggestion is to use a filter to exclude tasks which are completed OR to colour them white which reduces their impact on the screen. We would use calendars a lot more if the Actual Dates issue was resolved, and also if performance could be improved.

[BenettaPe]

Thanks, I will try this.

[noahw64679592]

Yes. Having the same issue here with Calendars. Would love to hear if anyone has found a workaround on how to force Planned dates to appear over Completion dates.

[BenettaPe]

It is working as designed. So until there is a design change - I imagine there will be no workaround. I do hope there is a feature request put in for this. [image: APS Payroll logo] Benetta Perry New Client Setup Specialist p: 318-222-9774 f: 318-222-0601 e: bperry@apspayroll.com www.apspayroll.com < ">http://www.facebook.com/apspayroll> < ">https://twitter.com/apspayroll> < ">https://plus.google.com/u/1/101565211370298693012/posts> < ">http://www.linkedin.com/company/aps-payroll> The information contained in this transmission may contain privileged and confidential information. It is intended only for the use of the person(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination, distribution or duplication of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message. On Wed, Mar 1, 2017 at 7:59 PM, Noah Wong < globalforum@communitylists.workfront.com> wrote: > Yes. Having the same issue here with Calendars. > > Would love to hear if anyone has found a workaround on how to force > Planned dates to appear over Completion dates. > > -----End Original Message----- >

[KatherineHa1]

Let's vote this up in the Idea Exchange!!!

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

Hi Benetta, Marty, and David, I've been thinking about this Actuals Overriding Planned Dates and Tripping Up Calendars behavior, and am going to invent an Auto-Complete module for "http://store.atappstore.com/product/ubercalc/">UberCalc , as we did with Synchronize Commit Dates a few months back. In this usecase, UberCalc would run on schedule (eg nightly), and for a certain user-defined Task filter (eg Tasks on "Vacation Calendar" Projects whose Planned Start or Completion Dates that have now "passed", but whose respective Actual Date is still null) FORCE the respective Actual Date to be equal to its Planned Date. Come to think of it...this technique could then have other applications, too: Filter for Tasks with Must Start On or Must Finish On constraints, and Auto-Complete their Actual Dates to match their Planned Dates (eg that event DID happen that day, so Just Do It) Filter for special Tasks such as Team Meetings (eg by name, or Category, or Template Task ID, etc.) that "Just Happen", and have Auto-Complete take care of marking them as done Same concept, but on Issues, via an Issues Filter (Anthony, that one's for you) I'll start a new thread when I release it, and refer back to this one. Meanwhile, if anyone can think of other usecases of interest, please let me know. Regards, Doug

[BenettaPe]

Auto-complete just got me called in. So i'm careful to use that wondeful feature. Our Project Managers like to move our projects into complete themselves and our team members like to complete their tasks themselves (except parent).

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

Thank Benetta. Given that, what might you add to your Task filters to ensure that only the Tasks you want to Auto-Complete are updated? Regards, Doug

[BenettaPe]

Doug, All parent tasks can auto complete. Tasks assigned to individual's needs to be manually touched - not auto completed for them, based on a given date. This is our method. This ensures no tasks fall thru the cracks. Benetta

[DavidCo3]

Hi Doug, It sounds like a great tool for customers who are happy to have certain types of tasks auto-completed and/or their actual start/finish dates adjusted to match planned dates. From my point of view, I would prefer if the Workfront functionality was changed so that calendars (at least as an option) would use planned dates only. I quite like having actual start and completion dates as a record separate to Planned Dates, but I just don't like the impact on the calendars. If Workfront said they would never change the calendar functionality, then we'd consider going down the workaround path you have suggested. Cheers, David

[Doug_Den_Hoed__AtAppStore]

Thank you, David. I appreciate both your assertion of our design, and your preference to have a built in solution. For those who'd prefer the former (by way of status report), our UberCalc module to Auto-Complete Tasks (as above) is now developed and in testing, as is our Auto-Start Tasks (e.g. set status to In Progress if someone has entered hours and/or said they'd Work On). As we develop more and more of these "behavior" based modules (such as these and Sync Commit Date, etc), I'm considering pulling them together into a bundle, as well. Regards, Doug