Creating Additional Deadlines with Notification (for example, Clarifying Questions due dates)

We're trying to figure out the best way to create "sub" deadlines within a project. For example, we need to create a "clarifying questions due" due date for almost all our RFPs. We need it to be set up in a way so that we (project owners) get notifications when the deadline is coming up. In the same way we currently get notifications when the RFP final deadline is coming up. I think using "Tasks" might work for this, and maybe even "Tasks and Workflows", but I'm not sure (https://academy.responsive.io/student/activity/1580018-tasks-and-task-templates?sid=1e352ab1-fc73-47dc-8582-6d474d08d0f8&sid_i=0#/page/64a709bbc24e41110604099a). I'm wondering how others set up these kinds of "sub" deadline notifications. Is there a way to set up a workflow so that we can enter these "sub" deadlines directly in the intake form, and have them be set as deadlines with notifications sent out automatically, in the same way that the RFP final deadline works?

Intake Survey

workflow

Comments

Sarah Biskup

Hi! We use Tasks/Task Templates for these types of deadlines. We have one for Submit Clarification Questions to the prospect, and we have it set to create this task automatically during project creation. We do go in and manually update the date the questions are actually due, but having the task list auto populate is extremely helpful. The Project Tasks also flow to My Work so we get both emails and can simply see in My Work when a task assigned to each of us is due.

We also use the Checklist in the Task Templates - so we have a Task Template for Pre-Project Work, and within that Task there are maybe 10 checklist items that the project manager has to go through and check off as they complete them. I hope this helps! @Andrew Mersman did I miss anything?

Helene H

@Nikki Ross Following up on Sarah's note, you can set up Tasks at the Organization Level - Project - Task Template!

Andrew Mersman

@Nikki Ross Hello! we do use project tasks as mentioned by @Sarah Biskup…. we will have two tasks created based upon the need. For example…we have submit questions (vendor deadline) automatically created (lets say 5 days after project created). Then we have a second task automatically created 3 days after project created for our internal deadline for submitting questions as we try to submit a day or two before. Not 100% ideal but it works. we do not duplicate all our tasks…just some key milestones. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Nikki Ross

Thank you everyone for your feedback! I'm trying to create a "Submit Clarifying Questions" Task Template for this, but I see I'm required to put a deadline in even for Task Templates. Is there a way to get around this? I want to set it up so that the task "Submit Clarifying Questions" is automatically created whenever we create a New Project, and then we can go in and add the specific deadline when we have it. Is this possible/does that make sense? Is there a way to do that/is that what you @Andrew Mersman and @Sarah Biskup do? Or do you just set the Task Template as 1 day or something, and go in and update it manually when creating the new project?

Nikki Ross

And @Helene can you please clarify what that would do or direct me to a tutorial/instructional page that provides more details about that?

Andrew Mersman

@Nikki Ross On average our projects are 30ish days….so I have our task templates mapped out to say after project create date…X is due 2 days after create date….Y is due 7 days after project create date ETC. This is working very well for us….and yes…we have to generally move some things around as some projects are 60 days OR shorter than 30. We have about 20 tasks that auto populate…the first half of the list is triggered to be due x days after project create date…the last half of the list is due x days before project due date and this keeps most things aligned. Happy to jump on a call if needed.

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