The start date of subitems that have dependencies can no longer be changed manually (i.e. directly via the Timeline column) when using “Strict” dependency mode. The only way to modify the start date of a subitem with a dependency is to update the value of the “Lag” in the dependency column. This is a challenge for two reasons:
- Some boards have many dependencies available which makes it difficult to locate the specific dependency that I want to modify
- It is not intuitive to modify dates in the “Timeline” column via the “Lag” value in the “Dependency” column.
Both of these challenges make it tedious to update timelines and align milestones across groups. I have found a work-around which is to switch the dependency mode to “Flexible” then make changes to the dates and then switch back to “Strict” but this is not a sustainable process. Also, sometimes the changes made while in “Flexible” mode do not update dependent subitems in the desired way.
Could the team add more options for “Dependency Mode”? Perhaps something like a “Date Locked” v “Date Unlocked” checkbox that defines whether or not manual changes to the Timeline can supersede the Dependency connection. I envision that the value of the lag between direct dependencies would change automatically as a result of a manual date change (rather than the current state of the date changing automatically as a result of a manual lag change)
Curious to know if other folks have experienced the same challenges!