Tasks

Basic idea

Tasks are either unconstrained (start anytime) or constrained (depend on another task). Four kinds of dependency, named by which endpoints connect: finish-to-start (most common), start-to-start, finish-to-finish, start-to-finish (rare).

Key facts

• Finish-to-Start (FS): predecessor finishes → successor starts. Default.
• Start-to-Start (SS): successor can’t start until predecessor starts.
• Finish-to-Finish (FF): successor can’t finish until predecessor finishes.
• Start-to-Finish (SF): rare, used for handover scheduling.

Tasks

Identifying task dependencies

Tasks can be

• Unconstrained: The task can start at any time
• Constrained: The task depends on another task

Type of task dependencies

Dependancy	Description	Representation
Finish-to-Start	Predecessor must finish before successor may start
Start-to-Start	Predecessor must start before successor may start
Finish-to-Finish	Predecessor must finish before successor may finish
Start-to-Finish	Predecessor must start before sucessor may finish

Siblings

• Definitions
• Developing Project Schedule
• Earned Value Analysis (EVA)
• Effort-time estimation
• Milestones vs Deliverables
• PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) chart
• Planning in Agile
• Project Schedule
• Project Scheduling
• Project Tracking and Control