Using the Critical Path: Understanding Dependencies

Dependencies dictate the type of preceding activity that must occur prior to a succeeding downstream task being started or completed. Note that in Moovila once a task has been cancelled it will no longer be factored into the Critical Path. Four types of dependencies exist:

• Finish-to-Start: The preceding task must be completed before the next task can begin. This is the most common type of dependency.
  
• Start-to-Start: The preceding task must start before the next task can begin.
  
• Finish-to Finish: The preceding task must be completed before the next task can be completed.
  
• Start-to-Finish: The preceding task must start before the next task can be completed. This is the least common type of dependency
  

“Lag” and “Lead” can be introduced to dependency types to alter the execution time between dependent tasks.

• Lag: The amount of time that is added between a preceding task and the next task. For example, a two day lag would mean that the next task begins two days after completion of the preceding task.
• Lead: The amount of time the next task is accelerated based on its preceding task. For example, a two day lead would mean that the next task begins two days before the completion of the preceding task.

Use the Dependency Editor to Specify Dependency Type, Lag, and Lead.

1. Open the project in the Critical Path Engine view, then click the Dependencies Editor icon.
   
    
2. A purple dot appears on dependency lines, indicating they are now editable.
   
    
3. Click a purple dot. The Dependency Editor screen appears.
   
    
4. Select the Dependency Type by clicking one of the options. For this example, Finish-to-Start (meaning that we must complete the Document Project Management task before the Execution Phase Review task can start).

5. Select a Lag or Lead. In this example, we'll set a 2-day lag.

   a.	Click Lag and not set. The Lag Lead Amount screen appears.
   b.	Use the number pad and unit of measure options to select the lag or lead time. Click OK. The Dependency Editor screen appears with the selections visible.
   c.	Click the Back arrow to return to the Critical Path Engine. The path now displays changes to dependencies with the lag or lead applied.   In this example: Document Project Management will be completed 1/4 and Execution Phase Review can’t start until that happens. With the addition of a two day Lag, the task that should have started on 1/5 now gets started on 1/7 instead. The change in those dates is reflected above the task, with the original dates appearing in black and the proposed new dates appearing in purple. The second task will now conclude on January 13.
   d.	Zooming out, the dates for the next task on the Critical Path are impacted as well. This is apparent in the dates that appear on the task tiles.
   e.	To save these changes, click the Save button in the upper right of the screen.  The Update Timeline window opens.
   f.	Toggle Settings to: Update Tasks with Proposed Dates: This will make the purple dates that Moovila has provided above the original red dates the official dates for those tasks. The timeline will update accordingly. Tasks can also be selected/deselected in this view so that some tasks are not updated. NOTE: Ensure that all changes are approved before updating a task with proposed dates, as these updates are final and cannot be reverted. Send Change Notifications: If the tasks are updated with the proposed dates, it will be possible to notify members of the team of the changes via this setting.
   g.	Click Save to continue. If the tasks’ dates have been updated, they will be reflected in the Critical Path after saving.