Relative Due Dates automate task scheduling inside your action plans so you never have to adjust individual deadlines by hand. A template can work forward from a Start date or backward from a Target (go‑live) date, depending on which reference point fits your project best.
How reference dates work
Reference date | Typical use‑case | What you enter | How dates are calculated |
Start Date | Kick‑off‑driven projects | Number of business days after the Start date (e.g. | Task dates are offset forward from the Start date. |
Target Date | Launch, event, or go‑live driven projects | Business‑day offset before (negative) or after (positive) the Target date (e.g. | Task dates are offset backward (–) or forward (+) from the Target date. The Start date is inferred. |
Skip Weekends is enabled by default. When active, weekends are ignored and only business days are counted.
Set up relative dates in a template
Open the template and select the Action Plan block.
In the sidebar, choose Reference date → Start Date or Target Date.
For each task, click the calendar icon and enter the relative offset:
+5→ 5 business days after the reference date-3→ 3 business days before the reference date (available for Target‑based plans)
Switching the reference date after offsets have been added clears all relative dates. A confirmation dialog lets you cancel or proceed.
What happens when a Space is created
Plan type | Start Date on day of creation | Target Date on day of creation | Task offsets |
Start‑based | Set to today by default (editable) | Calculated from longest task offset | +N days from Start |
Target‑based | Calculated as today minus longest negative offset | Set to today + longest positive offset (editable) | ±N days from Target |
When a Target date is the anchor, Valuecase automatically infers a Start date so the whole timeline fits between Start and Target.
Editing dates after Space creation
1. Overall
You can edit an individual task’s due date directly inside a Space. If you later adjust the reference date, the system keeps the relative gap you introduced.
Absolute dates cannot be added to templates. Any absolute dates that already exist will continue to work.
2. Start‑based plans
Changing the Start Date moves all task dates accordingly.
The Target Date updates automatically.
3. Target‑based plans
Changing the Target Date shifts every task while preserving its offset.
Tasks that would fall before today are moved to today and marked overdue so nothing slips through the cracks.The Start Date recalculates. Start Date itself is read‑only in this mode.
FAQs
Can I make both Start and Target dates editable?
No. A plan is either Start‑driven or Target‑driven. The non‑reference date is calculated automatically.
Will weekend skipping ever move a task past the Target date?
No. The system back‑calculates so the last business day that fits within the offset is used.