How can I make a due date dependent on another task's completion?

ako.birinci · October 2022

Hi, I want to create a task for which the due date depends on another tasks completion. Like 'Start the decoration' task should start in 2 days after the completion/due date of 'Get decoration permit' task. So if I put the due date of 'Get decoration permit' task to 02.12.2022 I want the 'Start the decoration' task's due date to be automatically 04.12.2022. So if I move the date of one the other one automatically changes.. Is that possible? Thank you

Andrew Lapidus · October 2022

Hi @ako.birinci , welcome to the community! 😀

There is currently no way to have two separate tasks with due dates dependant on one another, although I definitely understand your use case here. It reminds me of @Til 's request for an "if-then" automation within MeisterTask, and would make for a great feature request!

BUT - I think you could also accomplish the same thing with a typical Kanban workflow: You could, for example, create a single, overarching task (e.g. "Party Decorations") which is moved between sections from left to right on the board. In one of these sections (moving for example from the "collect materials" section to the "implementation" section), you could add the "update due date" automation to automatically adjust the current due date of the task to 2 days after the task is moved from "collect materials" - giving you two days to get decorations done.

If you're using a static board, you could also express this as a single task with several checklist items: I know @Andres D'Andrea had an excellent method of updating due dates for checklist items in this thread.

I also wanted to flag @Jörg Koper , who seems to be our resident automation wizard... Maybe you have some insights? :D

Hope this helps @ako.birinci ... let me know whether that would work for you!

Joerg Koper · October 2022

Hi @ako.birinci 👋🙂

I absolutely agree with @Andrew Lapidus thoughts.

Let's say you design a project board where the workflow goes from requesting a decoration, through clarification (i.e. decoration approval) and then into the process of starting the work.

You may create these columns:

Request (here you have the option to insert user-defined fields and predefined checklists into the newly created task via an automation).

Decoration Approval (here you can either enter a desired due date manually or have "Due in X days" inserted via an automation).

Approved (if the task is pushed into this column, the due date is automatically extended by two days. Maybe the task is also automatically assigned to a team member, or the task is automatically moved to the Work Start column, given certain tags, etc. Here you have many possibilities via the automations).

Start of work (if you move the task manually to this column, individual automations are possible again. If the task was automatically moved here from the Approved column, individual automations are also possible).

If you work in different teams, you can also create two project boards. A separate one for each team. The first project board with the mentioned columns. In this case, the column "Start of work" would automatically move the task to a column of the second project board (i.e. to the department of the second team). Individual automations are also possible there.

I understand your thoughts. But it's easier to only create one task (with some further steps in the progress) for one mission than to create different tasks for one mission.

My point of view: In a relay race, it would make little sense if each runner had to have his or her own baton ready when handing over. He or she should simply run with the baton that is already there to finish the race.

By the way, if you have also created a customer board, you can link each order to the relevant customer via the automation " Relationships".

I would be glad if my suggestion helps 😉

ako.birinci · October 2022

Thank you for the detailed info.. I will look into these options and see how it can be applied to our project. Also I need to figure out how to do all these automations you mentioned.. I am sure there is a video guide to go thru on the site👍