An Outlook user had this question:
I am a real estate agent. When I have a contract, there are a number of tasks that have to happen for each transaction. Some tasks have absolute dates, some have to happen a certain number of days from the contract date, and some have to happen a certain number of days following another task once completed. Is there an easy way to do this in Outlook?
While you can use Outlook's ability to calculate dates to help you create the tasks easier, you can't set up a series of tasks based on one date. You could create the first task then copy it, editing each copy as needed.
For example, to create a task due 10 days from now, type 10d in the due date field. If it needs to be done 12 days from Dec 11, type 12/11+12d in the date field. However, Outlook uses calendar days, not business days, so this method may be less useful for someone who needs to count business days.
Other Options
You have (at least) two additional options:
You can create a template in Excel, fill in the necessary fields and import it into Outlook. You can use formulas to calculate the dates and skip weekends and holidays. Once the worksheet is created, it will take seconds to enter the information and import it.
You can also use VBA to create the tasks for you. We have sample VBA code available at Create a Series of Tasks using VBA. Note, however, that this is best suited for a limited number of tasks.
More Information
There are add-ins that may make these types of tasks easier to set up, see Project and Business Process Management Tools for a list.
More Natural Language articles (and ideas):
How to create a "Next 21 days" Task filter
Using Natural Language Phrases and Date or Time Shortcuts