Four types of task dependencies

Four types of task dependencies


"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."
                                                                                                                 - Henry Ford

Projects, small or large, are driven by simple work units called tasks. Monitoring standalone tasks might look simple but as the workflow becomes elaborate, tasks may start relying on one another. In project management, this relationship between tasks is termed as "Task Dependencies".


Dependency between tasks arise due to resource constraints and logical factors. They are further classified into four types, namely, 

  • Finish-To-Start (FS) : The successor can't begin until the predecessor finishes. 
  • Start-To-Start (SS)  : The successor can't begin until the predecessor begins. 
  • Finish-To-Finish (FF)  : The successor can't finish until the predecessor finishes.

  • Start-To-Finish (SF)  : The successor can't finish until the predecessor begins.

Let us understand better by applying the types of dependencies in a real-time business scenario. Consider an industrial task, like coffee processing. It begins with the harvest of coffee beans. Once harvested, the coffee beans must be dried.

 

Drying the coffee beans cannot start until harvest is completed - Finish-to-Start

 

Once the harvested beans start to dry, grading can be initiated - Start-To-Start 

Later the beans are roasted to develop the flavor before being packaged into a final product.

 

Coffee packets cannot be filled until the roasting is done - Finish-To-Finish

 

Final packing cannot be completed until the packets are sealed - Start-To-Finish


We support all the four types of dependencies now. You can discover the dependent avenues in your business, connect them together, analyze the type of task dependency, and view their progress using Gantt charts.   


Hope you find our new feature helpful! For more information on task dependencies, take a look at our help guide. Learn more about our latest updates. For any suggestions or queries, reach us at support@zohoprojects.com .

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