Datedriven

Datedriven is a term describing planning and decision-making that is guided primarily by calendar dates, deadlines, and time windows rather than solely by past data or real-time signals.

The term is not standardized and may appear as "date-driven" or "datedriven" in business discourse to emphasize time as the dominant driver in processes.

In project management, datedriven approaches fix work items to release dates and milestones. In marketing, publication schedules are date-driven to align with campaigns. In logistics, replenishment and allocations can be triggered by expiry dates or seasonal calendars.

Datedriven contrasts with data-driven planning, which prioritizes analytics, and with demand-driven approaches that respond to customer demand. In practice, datedriven methods are often used alongside data and demand signals.

Key practices include establishing calendars and deadlines, defining time windows, and automating reminders. Integrations with data systems help surface deadlines alongside metrics. Teams should build buffers for variability and monitor schedule risk.

Examples include quarterly software releases, fixed-date promotions, and perishable inventory scheduling. Potential drawbacks include rigidity and misalignment with changing conditions, which can be mitigated by periodic calendar reviews and exception policies.