The Pin Date is a fixed date that prevents tasks that are on the Critical Chain from moving when changing from ALAP to ASAP mode. For example, in a feeding chain of five tasks, a Pin Date is set on the first task in the chain.
Sciforma automatically sets Pin Dates on tasks that need them when switching from Planning Mode (in which tasks are scheduled ALAP) to Tracking Mode (in which tasks are scheduled ASAP). The Pin Date value can also be set or removed manually for tasks as needed.
Because a Pin Date defines the earliest date a task can start when in Tracking mode, the Pin Date field must be adjusted before a task can be scheduled to start earlier. This will need to be done if tasks start finishing sooner than planned and the starting dates on subsequent tasks need to be moved earlier.
Pin Dates can be adjusted in three ways:
In Gantt charts, by moving the task earlier in time by dragging the Task bar. Sciforma updates the Pin Date when the mouse button is released. (Note that this approach can only move a task until it hits a predecessor.)
By manually changing the value in the Pin Date field in any task spreadsheet.
By switching to Planning Mode, which removes Pin Dates, then restores them as necessary when Tracking Mode becomes active.