Time Sensitive Tasks
Some tasks in a workflow can be time-sensitive: they have to be completed within a specific time. A task assignee has to be informed when to complete an assignment, and if they miss the deadline, they need to know by how long the task is overdue.
For example:
During a pre-sale workflow, the inbound lead has to be contacted by phone within 30 minutes of initial interest.
In a content creating workflow: new content has to be posted on social media no longer than four hours after being published on the company's website
A job applicant's file has to be reviewed by the HR Manager within three days of the application.
How to Specify a Relative Deadline
The due-in fields allow you to specify in how many days, hours, and minutes a task is due:
The Actual Due Date is Determined at Workflow Runtime
Note that what you enter here is not the particular static date you want the task completed by, but rather the dynamic time period. The resulting dynamic due date is dynamically assigned according to the completion of the previous workflow stage.
Assignees Know How Much Time is Left until the Deadline
When the dynamic due date is set for the workflow stage, an assignee of the resulting task is shown how much time is left until the assignment is due.
The information is updated dynamically as the deadline looms.
Missed Deadlines Highlighted in Red
When the deadline is missed, it's highlighted in red, displaying how long the task is now overdue. This information is updated dynamically, the amount of time the task is outstanding keeps increasing until the task is completed.
No Extension of Deadlines
It should also be borne in mind that when a completed task is returned, the due-in period does not get reset, so there is no extension of deadlines for people who can't do their job correctly the first time around: deadlines are "set in stone." (unless you change them in the template, of course).
Dynamic due dates help your team stay on track while improving your company's operations and adding an extra layer of control to your business processes.