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Task Handoff Date overview

Last update: Wed Sep 13 2023 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

CREATED FOR:

  • User

The Handoff Date is the date that a task becomes available for work. This typically means that its predecessors have resolved and the assignee of the task can start working on it.

TIP
Handoff Dates do not exist for issues and projects.

How Adobe Workfront calculates the Handoff Date

NOTE
The Handoff Date is calculated only if the project status equates to the following statuses:
  • On Hold
  • Current
  • Complete
  • Dead

Workfront uses the following rules for calculating the Handoff Date of a task:

  • When the task has an incomplete predecessor: The Handoff Date for the task is null.

  • When the task has a complete predecessor: The Handoff Date is the same as the Actual Completion Date of the predecessor task. If the predecessor has a lag, Workfront calculates the Handoff Date of the successor task using the following formula:

    Successor Handoff Date = Predecessor Actual Completion Date + Lag

    For information about lag time, see Overview of Lag Types.

    If the successor task has more than one predecessor, the Handoff Date is calculated based on the latest Actual Completion Date of the predecessors. For example, if the two predecessors’ Actual Completion Dates are November 8, 2022 and November 20, 2022, the Handoff Date of the successor is November 20, 2022.

    note note
    NOTE
    Calculating the Handoff Date of a successor task based on the Actual Completion Date or a predecessor task is the same whether the predecessor is enforced or not. For more information about enforced predecessors, see Enforce predecessors.

  • When the task has no predecessor and:

    • The Planned Start Date is in the past: The Handoff Date is the same as the Planned Start Date of the project if the task has no forced constraint set. For the cases where tasks have forced constraints, see the “When the task has a forced constraint for the Planned Dates” section below.
    • The Planned Start Date is in the future (any date after the current date): The Handoff Date is the same as the Planned Start Date of the task if the task has no forced constraint set. For the cases where tasks have forced constraints, see the “When the task has a forced constraint for the Planned Dates” section below.
NOTE
When the task has a cross-project predecessor, the handoff date of the successor recalculates only when either of the following occur:
  • You manually recalculate the timeline of the successor’s project. You must have Manage permissions to the project to recalculate timeline.
  • The timeline of the successor’s project is automatically recalculated at night.
For information about recalculating the project’s timeline, see Recalculate project timelines.

  • When the task has a forced constraint for the Planned Dates: The Handoff Date varies depending on the type of constraint and whether the task has an Actual Start Date or not.
    The following are forced constraints on tasks:

    • Must Start On
    • Must Finish On
    • Start No Earlier Than
    • Start No Later Than
    • Fixed Date

    The following scenarios exist:

    • When the task has a constraint of Must Start On or Start No Earlier Than: If the task constraint date is in the past and there is no Actual Start Date on the task (the task hasn’t started yet) the Handoff Date is the closest possible date the task can be started to be worked on. If the task has started, the Handoff Date equals the start date of the project.
    • When the task has a constraint of Must Finish On or Start No Later Than: If the task constraint date is in the future and there is no Actual Start Date on the task (the task hasn’t started yet) the Handoff Date is the task’s Planned Start Date. If there is as Actual Start Date on the task then the Handoff Date is the project’s start date.
    • When the task has a constraint of Fixed Dates: The Handoff Date is the Planned Start Date of the task, regardless of whether it has a predecessor or not and regardless of whether the predecessor is completed or not.

Locate the Handoff Date

You can display the Handoff Date of a task in a task report or the view of a task list.
For more information about building a report, see Create a custom report.

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