How Ensaria handles it
Every project in Ensaria has a deadline forecast computed from your actual velocity on similar work. The forecast updates every day as you log time. If the projected finish date drifts past your declared deadline, the project page surfaces it calmly — not as a red alarm, just as a visible mono date that's now in front of you.
The fix, when it's needed, is usually one of three things: (1) descope, (2) move the deadline date with an honest conversation, or (3) re-rate the project. Each decision is easier when the data points to it three weeks early.
Checkpoints inside a deadline
For multi-month projects, you can split a deadline into checkpoints — milestone dates between now and the final finish. Each checkpoint gets its own velocity forecast. A drifting checkpoint warns earlier than a drifting final deadline; the small slip you catch in week 2 is the one that doesn't become a missed deliverable in week 8.
When there's no history yet
For the first 5–10 tasks in a new domain, the Reality Engine returns “not enough similar work yet” instead of a fabricated number. The deadline forecast then defers to your declared estimate plus a calm warning that it isn't yet velocity-calibrated.