When scheduling a ticket, it’s good to take a few things into consideration. If the due date that’s initially added is flexible, be sure to check the box and let the designers know. This is important for prioritizing tickets if any given day is particularly busy. Ticket heavy days can be mitigated by staggering due dates, especially if several tickets are added at once. The end of a month is typically a high traffic time for graphics, so scheduling tasks out in advance or keeping dates flexible will be very helpful. If circumstances dictate that there’s just no getting around several graphics being due at once, try to put the tickets in as soon as possible. Even if they are place holders with no information, knowing that a wave is coming will be helpful for the designer trying to schedule their time. Also keep in mind the lead times for certain types of digital products. These are detailed in the Lead Times Knowledge Base article.
Unless otherwise mentioned, a ticket set to be due on a certain day will be completed by EOD that day. If a graphic is needed before a certain time, be sure to list that time in the ticket, change the priority level, or contact the creative director to make sure the designers are aware. Otherwise, consider having the due date set to one day prior and just mention that the graphic is not needed till the following morning/afternoon.
If the due date on a ticket is only representative of when the proof was needed, be sure to update it upon approval to reflect when the final version is due. This also helps the designers keep track of their priorities
Communication is the best tool for managing due dates!