You can use calculation fields to make a parent item last the duration of its related items. Like this:

In this way the related items (that is; sub-referenced, second order items) will decide the timeline of its overacting parent item automatically. Meaning if you have a project as a parent item, and subsequent deliverables, the project’s timeline will be the entire duration of its deliverables.

Note: for this to work your related app needs 2 separate date fields: e.g., Start Date and End Date:

First go to your parent/main app (the app that is going to follow the duration of the related items) in Podio and click Modify template.

Replace or add a calculation field and name it whatever you wish (Start Date,Kick off, etc – here its called it Calculation_Start).

Write: @Min of and choose the according incoming Start date field in your related app.

Here we use the Deliverables app as the related app, you might have another app, but remember that it needs to be related. 

@Min of  will pick the earliest date from your related items  

Add another field for End date (due date, etc.), write @Max of and choose the according incoming End date field in the related app.

@Max of  will pick the latest date from your related items  

This is what your template will look like after adding both dates :

Note: This calculation will only pick up dates from items that are related to your main app (Incoming). To base the duration on the items that related from this app to another other app, choose the Outgoing option in the menu that comes up when toy choose @Min and @Max.

Optional: create a duration field to see how many days the item lasts.
Add another field called Duration, and copy paste this code snippet:

var start = @Min of Start Date;
var end = @Max of End Date;

moment(end).diff(moment(start), ‘days’)

In SmartGantt, you can simply create a chart as usual, and choose your new calculation fields as date fields! Read more on how to create charts here:

Quick video tutorial 

Detailed written tutorial 

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FAQ:

Q: What happens if I only have one item?

Then the parent item will follow the duration of this item

Q: What happens if I add more related items?

The calculation will automatically pick up the earliest and latest dates, remember to refresh your chart when you add a related item!

See our other tutorials on how to work with calculation fields in Podio: BendixKiel calculation tutorials