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Felix McDonald
Problem Statement
  • When a schedule on a template is copied, the new schedule inherits the original template's next generating date as its Start Date.
  • Because XBert generates tasks a configurable number of weeks ahead, the original schedule has often already generated the current period's tasks, pushing its next generating date a full period into the future.
  • For long-interval schedules (e.g. annual), this means the copied schedule can be dated far into the future rather than at the next Due Date the user would actually expect.
  • Example: at the start of June 2026, copying an annual schedule that generates 4 weeks ahead results in the copied schedule beginning July 2027 — almost certainly not what the user intended.
User Impact
  • Managers and Bookkeepers copying schedules end up with a Start Date far beyond the next Due Date they expected to see on their workboard.
  • Tasks they assume will be scheduled soon don't appear for a full period, creating gaps in expected work.
  • Drives confusion and avoidable support queries when copied schedules don't generate tasks anywhere near the present.
Proposed Solution
  • When copying a schedule, default the Start Date to the next Due Date the user would expect on their workboard, rather than inheriting the original's far-future next generating date.
  • Give users the option to choose when the copied schedule should first generate, so they can align it to the period they actually want.
  • Make the relationship between the look-ahead generation window and the Start Date clear within the copy flow.