Which approach helps calculate the duration from kickoff to the final client meeting?

• A. Automation that stores start/end dates in date columns plus a formula
• B. Manual calculation in a notebook
• C. Recording durations in a timeline
• D. Export to CSV and calculate

Answer: (A)

Automatically capturing the kickoff and final client meeting dates in two date fields and using a formula to compute the difference is the most effective way to get the duration. Storing both dates in structured fields gives you a single source of truth, and a formula that subtracts the start from the end date provides a consistent duration for every record. The value updates automatically if either date changes, and automations can populate these dates as events occur, reducing manual work and errors. This setup also scales well for reporting and can be adjusted to measure calendar days or business days as needed.

Manual calculations in a notebook are prone to mistakes and don’t scale. Recording durations in a timeline records intervals but doesn’t produce a direct, reusable duration value for reporting. Exporting to CSV and calculating externally adds steps and risk of drift, making ongoing updates harder to manage.