Often one task can't start until another finishes. If this is true of your process, you can let QuickBase track these dependencies for you, with a predecessors type field. Pre-built project management applications come with the predecessors feature built-in and working. But, if you crafted your own solution, you can easily add predecessors to it. A predecessor field works with at least two work date type fields:
Start Date. Must be a Work Date type field. (You'll learn how to set this up in a minute.)
End Date. This must be either a Work Date type field (if you want users to manually enter an end date) or a Formula - Workdate type field (if you want to use a Duration field to calculate the end date).
Duration. (Optional) This is a numeric field in which users enter the number of days that a task or event lasts. If you want to use a duration type field then your end date field should be a formula - workdate type field that is calculated by QuickBase, based on entries in Start Date and Duration.
If you have these fields in your application already, you can tweak them to work with a predecessor field. If you don't, you can add them. In either case, follow the steps below to add the predecessors feature to your application.
To add dependencies to an existing application:
Open the application that you want to feature dependencies.
In the menu bar on any application page, click Customize > Create a new > field.
Select the table to which you want to add the predecessors field.
In the Label box, enter a name for the predecessor field.
Usually, a name like predecessors or something close to it works the best. Enter whatever descriptive name helps your users identify this field's job as a link to the task that precedes the one they're working in.
From the Type list, select Predecessor, and then click Add Fields.
If prompted, be sure to add this field to your data-entry forms. If you're not prompted, be sure to do it later. (A field will not display anywhere until it is added to a form and or/a report.)
Create or edit the Start Date field.
Regular date type fields don't work with dependencies. If you don't yet have a Start date field, create one and make its type Work Date. If you have an existing Start date field, you must change its type from date to workdate. To do so, select Customize > Fields and click the name of your Start date field. Within the field properties page that displays, click the Change Type link on the upper right of the screen. Click the Select a field type dropdown and choose Work Date. Click Convert Data.
(optional) Format the Duration field.
If you don't want to use a Duration field, skip to Step 8. In order for your duration field to work correctly, it must be of type numeric. If it's not, click the name of its table, select Customize --tablename-- table > Fields and click the name of your Duration field. Within the field properties page that displays, click the Change Type link on the upper right of the screen. Click the Select a field type dropdown and choose Numeric. Click Convert Data. You'll use this field to record the number of days a task or event lasts.
Format the end date field.
If you want users to manually enter the end date, create or edit the End Date field so that its type is Work Date.
If you want to use a Duration field and have QuickBase calculate the end date, do the following:
Edit or create the end date field so that its type is Formula - Work Date.
In the Formula Options section of the field's properties screen, select End Date Formula Builder as the Formula Entry Type.
Within the start field dropdown, select the start date you configured in Step 6.
Within the Time span dropdown, select the duration field you configured in Step 7.
Click Save.
Note: QuickBase automatically calculates the end date for a task based on a five-day work week. To include weekends in the calculation, turn off the Work week is weekdays only check box.
Configure the Predecessor field.
Open Predecessor field's properties page (read how). Within the Predecessor Options section, select the Start Date field and End Date field you've set up in the preceding steps and click Save. If
Note: If you have created custom forms for this application, be sure to add the new dependencies fields to them. Read how.