Kantata Date Entry Guidance for Program Managers
Date Fields
Planned Start Date
Enter during initial project planning or when a task/milestone is created. This is your baseline — reflect the originally scheduled start date and do not update it once work begins.
Planned Due Date
Enter at the same time as Planned Start Date. For client-facing milestones, this should align with any contractual or SOW commitments. Like Planned Start, do not update.
Start Date
Enter on the day work begins (no later than the next business day). Only log when work has genuinely started — do not enter speculatively.
Due Date
Enter on the day completion is confirmed. For milestones requiring client acceptance, use the acceptance date, not the submission date. Do not pre-populate as a target.
Variance Reason Fields
Start Variance Reason
Document the root cause, who or what drove the variance (internal team, client, third party, scope change), and any impact on downstream tasks.
Format: [Early/Late] by [# days] — [Root cause]. [Downstream impact or mitigation, if applicable.]
Examples:
- Late by 5 days — Client did not provide access credentials by the scheduled onboarding date. Downstream environment setup shifted accordingly.
- Early by 2 days — Predecessor task completed ahead of schedule; team capacity was available.
End Variance Reason
Document the root cause, whether it was within the team's control, and any corrective action taken or planned.
Format: [Early/Late] by [# days] — [Root cause]. [Corrective action or lessons learned, if applicable.]
Examples:
- Late by 8 days — Mid-task scope expansion added unanticipated complexity. Change order submitted and approved; schedule formally updated.
- Early by 3 days — Team identified an automation opportunity that reduced manual effort. No downstream impact.
Quick Reference
| Field | When to Enter | Update After Entry? |
|---|---|---|
| Planned Start | At project/task creation | No |
| Planned Due Date | At project/task creation | No |
| Start Date | When work begins | No |
| Due Date | When work is confirmed complete/accepted | No |
| Start Variance Reason | When actual vs. planned start do not match | As needed |
| End Variance Reason | When actual vs. planned end do not match | As needed |
FAQ
Q: Sometimes the start date gets populated when the first time card has been submitted; is it ok if the start dates are after the first time card submission, especially if the PM starts doing pre-planning before the kickoff?
A: Yes, using the first timesheet was an approach used by operations when there is no start date entered. Please use the date fields as described above and there will be no issue with timesheets being submitted before the project official start date.