Creating a Project: Adding Dependencies

Once tasks have been created and assigned, and durations have been entered, dependencies should be added where necessary to connect tasks. A dependency in Moovila is what it sounds like—one task whose start or completion is dependent on another’s. Building in dependencies allows the Critical Path to be established, which dictates how long it will take to complete the project. It also ties tasks that are related together so that if the completion of one task is necessary before the next starts, Moovila will flag the risk to the second task when the first starts running behind.

Dependencies can be added via Critical Path, Power Grid, or Timeline (Gantt Chart) views.

1. To add dependencies in Power Grid or Timeline View:

   a.	Select Power Grid or Timeline view from the upper left navigation.
   b.	Click the Dependencies icon in the upper right. From this point there are two ways to apply dependencies to the project--either by typing them directly into the Predecessor or Successor fields, or by clicking on row numbers to assign dependencies. We'll walk through typing in dependencies first.
   c.	To Type in Dependencies: Click twice on the cell in the Predecessor column for the first task to be assigned dependencies. The cell activates and is now ready for text entry.
   d.	Multiple tasks may be entered as predecessors or successors by adding a comma between line numbers. The following dependency types are available by entering the short code alongside the task's line number.  Start-to-Start: SS (e.g. a start-to-start dependency on a task in row 87 would be entered as 87SS) Finish-to-Finish: FF (e.g. a finish-to-finish dependency on a task in row 87 would be entered as 87FF) Lag: +x"unit of time" where time units are abbreviated as "y" "m" "w" "d" (e.g. a lag of 3 days on a task in row 87 would be entered as 87+3d) Lead: -x"unit of time" where time units are abbreviated as "y" "m" "w" "d" (e.g. a lead of 3 months on a task in row 87 would be entered as 87-3m)
   e.	To Apply Dependencies by Clicking on Rows: Click the Successor field for the first desired task and select the row number of the task that should be completed after the first task. As shown below, the second task (Complete Attached Project Request Form) is scheduled to start after the first (New Project Intake Start) has completed. When selecting the second task as the successor, the first task is automatically populated as the predecessor to the second task.
   f.	Continue to assign predecessors and successors throughout the remaining tasks.
   g.	To remove existing dependencies, click the Predecessor or Successor field and de-select the previously chosen row.
   h.	When satisfied with any modifications, click Save. The Save Dependencies screen appears. Click Yes to update tasks with the proposed dates and indicate whether or not change notifications should be sent to the team. Additionally, if there are dates you do not wish to update they can be deselected before saving by clicking on their line.
   g.	Click Save.

2. To add dependencies in Critical Path view:

   a.	Select Critical Path view from the upper left navigation.
   b.	Tasks without dependencies appear at the bottom of the screen. To define dependencies, drag the task that must be completed first to the top frame.
   c.	Drag the task that is dependent on the first into the Drag 2nd task here space. Note that dates have populated within the thumbnails in the Critical Path indicating start dates and end dates. These are based upon durations established within each task. For example, the first task below is a milestone, so has a duration of 0 days. It will start and finish on 11/18, so Moovila has set up the next task in the sequence to begin on 11/19 (the next work day), because that second task is dependent on the first being complete to start. The second task is set to last for one week, so the dates reflect a start date of 11/19 and an end date of 11/25.
   d.	Continue to drag and drop task thumbnails in order of dependency.
   e.	Click Save. The Save Dependencies screen appears.
   f.	Click Yes to update task with the proposed dates and indicate whether or not change notifications should be sent to the team.
   g.	Click Save.
   h.	To modify dependencies in Critical Path mode, click the Dependencies icon in the upper right navigation. Note that if tasks are cancelled, they will remain in the Critical Path but will no longer impact any dates in the timeline.

   NOTE: To learn more about more complex dependencies and the Critical Path Engine, visit the Critical Path Engine section of this User Guide.