What are Dependencies in Project Management?

One of the key factors that determine the success or failure of any project is the management of dependencies. Dependencies in project management are the relationship between various tasks and activities within a project, where the completion of one task is incumbent upon the successful completion of another. They are the building blocks that shape the project's timeline and ensure smooth coordination among team members.

Understanding and managing dependencies is an important part of Project Management training. As a project manager, understanding the often-intricate web of task dependencies within a project helps you better allocate resources, optimize workflows, and minimize the delay. 

What are Dependencies in Project Management?

Project dependencies refer to the relationships between tasks that dictate their order and sequence of completion. Some simple examples of dependencies at the macro level include the dependence of production on the supply of raw materials and the dependence of software delivery on timely testing and bug fixing.

Identification of dependencies helps create realistic timelines and compute slack. They are critical for efficient resource allocation, project milestones, and timely delivery.

Why Project Dependencies are Important?

As described above, task dependencies in project management are important for several reasons. Here are a few more:

Prioritization: Dependencies help identify critical tasks that require immediate attention, enabling project managers to prioritize and allocate resources effectively.

Risk Management: By understanding dependencies, project managers can identify potential bottlenecks and mitigate risks that may arise due to delays or changes in project scope.

Improved Collaboration: Well-documented dependencies promote better communication and collaboration among team members, ensuring everyone knows the tasks they are accountable for and their dependencies.

Timely Decision-making: Dependencies allow project managers to make informed decisions, as they clearly understand the project timeline and the potential impact of changes on the project schedule.

Key Terms to Know Regarding Dependencies in Projects

Every industry has its unique language and jargon. Dependencies in project management, too, have certain keywords that are in common use:

Predecessor: A task that must be completed or started before the task can commence.

Successor: A task that relies on completing the task in question.

Lead Time: The amount of slack a successor task can allow a predecessor task 

Lag Time: The delay between the completion of a predecessor task and the beginning or end of its successor task.

Critical Path: The longest sequence of tasks, including their dependencies, must be completed to finish a project within the scheduled timeframe.

Float or Slack: The amount of time a task can be delayed without impacting the successor task or the project's overall schedule.

Constraint: A restriction, condition, or limitation imposed on a task that affects its start or end date, duration, or dependencies.

Understanding the terminology used for dependencies in project management is critical for effective project management. If you are new or a bit rusty, consider taking a PMP course online to ace your PMP exam and get trained and aligned to the latest project management certification exam content outline.

Types of Dependencies in Project Management

A project plan is akin to a workflow in which the product moves from one completion stage to another until it is delivered to the stakeholders. However, project plan dependencies are more complex than one task commencing after another has ended. Broadly speaking, there are three different types of dependencies in project management – internal and external dependencies and key dependencies. 

For instance, external dependencies in project management are external to the project but still impact project completion. Typical examples of external dependencies in project management are weather conditions and government certifications and permissions. 

Internal dependencies include:

• Finish-to-Start (FS): This common dependency dictates that Task A must be completed before Task B begins. FS dependencies relate to sequential processes where the commencement of one task depends upon the output of the previous task. For example, laying the foundation must precede erecting the walls in construction.
• Start-to-Start (SS): With this dependency, Task A must begin before Task B can start, but they may be executed simultaneously. SS dependencies facilitate parallelism in projects, allowing tasks to be completed concurrently without waiting for one to finish. In software development, the design phase must commence before coding, though both tasks can run in parallel.
• Finish-to-Finish (FF): This dependency implies that although Task A and Task B can progress simultaneously, Task A must be completed before Task B can be closed. For instance, while the design and development of webpages can progress simultaneously, the design must be finalized before the webpage becomes publish-ready.
• Start-to-Finish (SF): Task A must start before Task B can finish in this rare dependency type. SF dependencies are helpful in scenarios where starting a task triggers the completion of another. For example, when migrating from an old system to a new one, you can disable the old system only when the new system is up and running.

Apart from the internal and external dependencies in project management, there are other key dependencies which are essentially internal dependencies based on logic, resource availability, team interaction, best practices, and external factors.

What are the Benefits of Dependencies?

The better question is, are there any mandatory dependencies in project management that you need to manage and that will bring you distinct benefits? In truth, the importance of dependencies and the accruing benefits cannot be understated. Some have already been outlined above. If you know the dependencies, you can better manage the project and complete it efficiently, within budget, and on time. 

That said, below are a few benefits of managing project dependencies efficiently:

1. Help in Identifying Critical Path

The critical path is the sequence of critical tasks for timely project completion. Knowing the dependencies between these tasks helps to schedule and ensure the project will be completed on time.

To make the most out of it, ask yourself:

• Which tasks must be completed before we can take up this one?
• Which tasks can be completed simultaneously with this one?
• Which tasks can begin immediately after the completion of this one?

2. Resource Conflict Resolution

As a project manager, you’ll allocate resources for each task. A conflict may arise when two tasks need the same resource simultaneously. In such cases, knowing dependencies and the critical path will help you determine priorities. You can allocate resources to important tasks while delaying tasks with some slack.

3. Anticipating and Avoiding Delays

Tasks within a project are interconnected. If one is delayed, it may affect the completion of other tasks. Knowing the dependencies between various tasks will help you as a project manager to anticipate delays and modify your project plan to ensure that the delay is mitigated by efficiency and speed in another area.

4. Avoid Duplication of Work

If you have the plaster in your home laid before the plumber and electrician visits, you have to redo the plastering. That’s repetitive work. Understanding project dependencies helps avoid such duplication of work by scheduling tasks efficiently.

5. Taking Preventive Action

Dependencies act as indicators, highlighting potential issues or roadblocks in advance. By analyzing dependencies, you can identify potential risks or bottlenecks early on, develop mitigation strategies, allocate additional resources, or make necessary adjustments to keep the project on track.

6. Managing Project Scope

Dependencies in a project play a crucial role in managing project scope. By understanding the relationships between tasks, project managers can ensure that changes or additions to the project scope are adequately assessed for their impact on dependent tasks. This helps in preventing scope creep and maintaining project focus.

7. Better Project Control

Dependencies provide a foundation for effective project control and monitoring. Project managers can track the progress of tasks by focusing on the completion of dependent activities. This allows for better tracking of project milestones, identifying deviations from the plan, and taking corrective actions on time.

How to Manage Project Dependencies?

Managing project dependencies is more complex than it may sound. Let us consider the dependencies in a standard construction site as an example. One prerequisite is good weather conditions, so the project manager must provide slack. Barring that, though, here are some common dependencies in a construction project:

1. The foundation must be laid securely before erecting the rest of the building.
2. Building materials must be delivered on time
3. The foundation must be dry before building above it.
4. Plumbing and electrical work must be completed before cementing the walls.
5. Bad weather can delay the project.

Of course, a project manager cannot control the weather. But he can ensure that the workers mix and curate the cement for the walls while the foundation dries. He can source the material in time to avoid onsite storage and possible damage. But what if there is a delay from the supplier’s end? Or is a transportation strike declared? He must therefore source the material at least one day before the required day.

As a project manager, you must provide for all project plan contingencies and maintain some slack. Below is a checklist to help you manage dependencies:

• List all tasks and their interdependencies, understanding their significance in the project.
• Record dependencies, types, and descriptions to ensure all stakeholders have a clear grasp of task relationships.
• Use tools like Gantt charts or network diagrams to illustrate dependencies visually.
• Assign resources, including personnel and equipment, considering dependencies and project timelines.
• Track task status and dependencies to promptly address any issues or changes.
• Adapt the project plan and resource allocation as needed, keeping stakeholders informed.
• Assess the management of dependencies after the project's completion, identifying areas for improvement in future projects.

A PRINCE2 training online can make you more proficient in managing dependencies.

Examples of Dependencies in Project Management

Below are projected dependency examples in five different industries to better understand how to identify dependencies in a project:

Construction: In a building project, dependencies include obtaining permits (Task A) before starting construction (Task B) or completing the foundation (Task C) before erecting walls (Task D).

Software Development: Dependencies include finalizing the user interface design (Task A) before starting coding (Task B) or completing the code review (Task C) before deploying the software (Task D).

Event Planning: Organizing a conference involves securing the venue (Task A) before promoting the event (Task B) or confirming speakers (Task C) before finalizing the agenda (Task D).

Product Launch: In a product launch, market research (Task A) must be conducted before setting pricing strategies (Task B), or the product development (Task C) must be completed before starting the marketing campaign (Task D).

Research Project: For research projects, dependencies include obtaining ethical approval (Task A) before starting data collection (Task B) or completing the literature review (Task C) before developing the research methodology (Task D).

These examples demonstrate how dependencies are integral to project management, emphasizing the need for understanding and addressing them to ensure timely and efficient project completion.

In general macro dependencies become apparent once you create your project plan. However, a few may escape notice. You can adopt different approaches to prevent this from happening. For instance, the task approach, where you identify dependencies between tasks, or the resources approach, where you identify overlapping resource needs. You can also identify the risks within the project, which might reveal dependencies as the cause.

Conclusion

No matter what approach you take, identifying dependencies within a project and managing them effectively is the responsibility of the project manager if the project is to be completed on time. There are several online tools like Kanban boards and Gantt charts to help you identify project dependencies. You can also download a project dependencies template to help you chart the dependencies in your project. Alongside, KnowledgeHut Project Management certification programs will help you become future-ready and boost your career.