What are Deadline Actions?
Deadline actions automatically change the due date of a task when certain conditions are met. You can set them up to:
Move a deadline earlier or later by a certain amount (e.g., add 3 days).
Set a deadline based on the deadline of another step in the process.
Set a deadline based on a date entered into a “Date” type form field earlier in the process.
Use the “Apply To” setting in the automation rule to choose which step’s deadline gets changed by this action.
Examples of Deadline Actions
Example 1: Make deadline earlier for premium service
IF (Package Purchased field) is "Premium"
THEN shift deadline for step "Send First Draft" 3 days earlier than its default
(Premium customers get their draft 3 days sooner.)
Example 2: Set deadline based on a meeting date
IF (Project Scope field) is "Complex"
THEN set deadline for step "Review Meeting" to (Client Kick-off Date field) + 5 days
(The review meeting deadline is set 5 working days after the date entered in the “Client Kick-off Date” field.)
Example 3: Link deadlines between tasks
IF (Initial Review task) is completed
THEN set deadline for task "Final Approval" to 2 days after the deadline of step "Client Feedback"
(The final approval is due 2 working days after the client feedback was due.)
(In the screenshot example, if the condition is met, the deadline for step 13 will be pushed 1 day later than it was originally.)
Setting the starting point for the new deadline
When you create a deadline action, you choose where the calculation starts from:
Current deadline : Add or subtract time from the step’s original deadline.
Another step’s deadline : Add or subtract time from the deadline of a different step.
Date field value : Add or subtract time from a date that was entered into a form field .
For example, you could set the deadline for Step B to be “+2 days from Step A’s deadline”.
How deadlines handle weekends/non-working days
Tallyfy automatically considers your company’s working days and hours (set in Organization Settings). If a deadline action calculates a due date that falls on a weekend or outside working hours, Tallyfy will always move the deadline forward to the next available working time. It will never move a deadline backward to a previous day.
Example: If a calculation results in a Saturday deadline, Tallyfy will move it to the following Monday morning (assuming Monday is a working day).
Automations > Actions
Tallyfy’s automation system offers four action types - assignment deadline status and visibility - to automatically handle task management based on predefined conditions and rules for streamlined workflow execution.
Org Settings > Customize work week
Administrators can configure organization-wide standard work schedules to ensure task deadlines automatically adjust around non-working periods and fall within defined business hours.
Templates > Automations
Tallyfy’s automation system uses IF-THEN logic to automatically execute actions and make decisions based on predefined rules which streamlines workflows and ensures consistent process execution.
Actions > Automate changing the status of tasks
Status actions automatically reopen completed tasks based on specific conditions like rejections or failed checks enabling workflow loops and revision processes.