Pre-Populate Dependencies and Durations in PDM for Cascading Dates

Put Simply:
For large projects with hundreds of scoped work items, manually setting start and end dates is time-consuming and error-prone. If the PDM included default durations and dependencies between tasks, Concourse could auto-cascade dates when a team sets a phase start—dramatically speeding up timeline planning.

Why It Matters:

• Saves time: Reduces manual effort when populating or adjusting timelines, especially in large or multi-phase engagements.

• Improves accuracy: Helps ensure that task sequences and durations follow firm-approved methodologies and delivery best practices.

• Supports smarter planning: Provides users with a helpful starting point that can be refined, rather than built from scratch.

• Elevates user experience: Feels modern and intelligent—similar to how tools like MS Project or Smartsheet auto-cascade dependencies.

What’s Needed:

• PDM metadata for task-level durations and dependencies (optional, default values—not enforced).

• Frontend support to auto-cascade dates based on initial inputs (e.g., phase start or milestone date).

• User controls to override or adjust auto-generated dates.

• Scope service updates to calculate and store cascaded dates.

• Visual cues to show dependency chains and allow in-line edits.