diff --git a/java/food-packaging/src/main/java/org/acme/foodpackaging/domain/Job.java b/java/food-packaging/src/main/java/org/acme/foodpackaging/domain/Job.java
index f805ea91b3..10602bdc46 100644
--- a/java/food-packaging/src/main/java/org/acme/foodpackaging/domain/Job.java
+++ b/java/food-packaging/src/main/java/org/acme/foodpackaging/domain/Job.java
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
 import ai.timefold.solver.core.api.domain.variable.CascadingUpdateShadowVariable;
 import ai.timefold.solver.core.api.domain.variable.InverseRelationShadowVariable;
 import ai.timefold.solver.core.api.domain.variable.NextElementShadowVariable;
-import ai.timefold.solver.core.api.domain.variable.PiggybackShadowVariable;
 import ai.timefold.solver.core.api.domain.variable.PreviousElementShadowVariable;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
@@ -45,13 +44,11 @@ public class Job {
     /**
      * Start is after cleanup.
      */
-    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateStartCleaningDateTime", sourceVariableNames = {"line", "previousJob"})
+    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateStartCleaningDateTime")
     private LocalDateTime startCleaningDateTime;
-
-    @PiggybackShadowVariable(shadowVariableName = "startCleaningDateTime")
+    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateStartCleaningDateTime")
     private LocalDateTime startProductionDateTime;
-
-    @PiggybackShadowVariable(shadowVariableName = "startCleaningDateTime")
+    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateStartCleaningDateTime")
     private LocalDateTime endDateTime;
 
     // No-arg constructor required for Timefold
diff --git a/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Employee.java b/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Employee.java
index a08aed5dfd..1b226b671b 100644
--- a/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Employee.java
+++ b/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Employee.java
@@ -98,11 +98,7 @@ public void setTasks(List<Task> tasks) {
      */
     @JsonIgnore
     public Affinity getAffinity(Customer customer) {
-        Affinity affinity = customerToAffinity.get(customer);
-        if (affinity == null) {
-            affinity = Affinity.NONE;
-        }
-        return affinity;
+        return customerToAffinity.getOrDefault(customer, Affinity.NONE);
     }
 
     @JsonIgnore
diff --git a/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Task.java b/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Task.java
index 3e3e94a526..20ba718805 100644
--- a/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Task.java
+++ b/java/task-assigning/src/main/java/org/acme/taskassigning/domain/Task.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public class Task {
     @PreviousElementShadowVariable(sourceVariableName = "tasks")
     private Task previousTask;
     @JsonIgnore
-    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateStartTime", sourceVariableNames = {"employee", "previousTask"})
+    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateStartTime")
     private Integer startTime; // In minutes
 
     public Task() {
@@ -135,13 +135,12 @@ public void setStartTime(Integer startTime) {
     private void updateStartTime() {
         if (employee == null) {
             startTime = null;
-            return;
+        } else if (previousTask == null) {
+            startTime = minStartTime;
+        } else {
+            var previousEndTime = previousTask.getEndTime();
+            startTime = Math.max(previousEndTime, minStartTime);
         }
-        var previousEndTime = previousTask == null ? Integer.valueOf(0) : previousTask.getEndTime();
-        if (previousEndTime == null) {
-            return;
-        }
-        startTime = Math.max(getMinStartTime(), previousEndTime);
     }
 
     @JsonIgnore
diff --git a/java/vehicle-routing/src/main/java/org/acme/vehiclerouting/domain/Visit.java b/java/vehicle-routing/src/main/java/org/acme/vehiclerouting/domain/Visit.java
index 9bd77eae28..8f6970373a 100644
--- a/java/vehicle-routing/src/main/java/org/acme/vehiclerouting/domain/Visit.java
+++ b/java/vehicle-routing/src/main/java/org/acme/vehiclerouting/domain/Visit.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class Visit implements LocationAware {
     @JsonIdentityReference(alwaysAsId = true)
     @PreviousElementShadowVariable(sourceVariableName = "visits")
     private Visit previousVisit;
-    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateArrivalTime", sourceVariableNames = {"vehicle", "previousVisit"})
+    @CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(targetMethodName = "updateArrivalTime")
     private LocalDateTime arrivalTime;
 
     public Visit() {
diff --git a/python/vehicle-routing/src/vehicle_routing/domain.py b/python/vehicle-routing/src/vehicle_routing/domain.py
index 3ce3a41b15..99f886e136 100644
--- a/python/vehicle-routing/src/vehicle_routing/domain.py
+++ b/python/vehicle-routing/src/vehicle_routing/domain.py
@@ -50,10 +50,7 @@ class Visit(JsonDomainBase):
                           IdSerializer, VisitValidator, Field(default=None)]
     arrival_time: Annotated[
         Optional[datetime],
-        CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(source_variable_name='previous_visit',
-                                      target_method_name='update_arrival_time'),
-        CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(source_variable_name='vehicle',
-                                      target_method_name='update_arrival_time'),
+        CascadingUpdateShadowVariable(target_method_name='update_arrival_time'),
         Field(default=None)]
 
     def update_arrival_time(self):