Scheduling
Part of Project automation features
Triggering alerts when a milestone is at risk
Define milestone risk signals, alert timing and recipients so a reminder prompts a useful delivery decision.
Alert someone who can act when an observable condition may threaten a milestone. A reminder that the milestone date is near does not establish delivery risk. Define the signal, affected milestone, recipient and next decision before building the rule.
Choose a signal the tool can observe
Start with the milestone and the work needed to reach it. A signal might be an incomplete prerequisite at its review point, a pending approval or a forecast moved beyond a workable handover date.
Identify the record supplying that signal and who keeps it current. If the tool holds only a target date, a person must assess the schedule before the alert can honestly describe a threat.
Exclude work already completed or cancelled where the rule supports that condition. If the intended condition cannot be configured, send a narrower reminder asking an owner to assess the milestone.
Alert component / What the recipient needs
- Signal
- Which prerequisite, approval or forecast changed?
- Consequence
- Which milestone may be affected, and is the effect confirmed?
- Action
- Who will investigate or decide, and by when?
- Return path
- Where will the finding and revised forecast be recorded?
Set timing and recipients
Choose timing that gives someone a reasonable opportunity to act before the milestone is affected. Check how the tool handles dates, times and time zones, and test the rule to confirm when recipients will receive the alert. For a team spread across Australian states or overseas, consider the date and time each recipient will experience.
If the tool supports repeated reminders, use them when someone owns the resulting queue and can act on each one. Check how the rule behaves when it is first enabled and whether it sends alerts for conditions that already exist.
Send the first alert to the person who can assess the cause. Escalate when a decision exceeds that person’s authority or an agreed review point passes.
A sample message could read: “Test-plan approval is pending; the release milestone may move. Review the forecast today.” This illustrates useful wording, not an actual project event.
Check the meaning of the alert
Propose test records for an incomplete prerequisite, a completed one, a moved milestone and an item without a date. Check which notifications arrive, when and to whom. Inspect the task reference and ensure the message distinguishes a possible delay from a confirmed one.
After an alert, a person still needs to update the forecast and record a decision. Review alerts that produced no action: the signal may be broad, the recipient may lack authority or the timing may be too late. Adjust the rule based on those findings.
