Dependency Management

Dependency management is the practice of identifying and handling the relationships between work items, teams, and systems that create constraints on project delivery. Unmanaged dependencies are one of the most common causes of project delays.

Types of dependencies:

• Finish-to-Start (FS): Task B cannot start until Task A finishes (most common)
• Start-to-Start (SS): Task B cannot start until Task A starts
• Finish-to-Finish (FF): Task B cannot finish until Task A finishes
• Start-to-Finish (SF): Task B cannot finish until Task A starts (rare)

Dependency categories:

• Mandatory (hard): Inherent in the nature of the work (must pour foundation before building walls)
• Discretionary (soft): Based on preference or best practice (could be changed)
• External: Depends on factors outside the project team (vendor delivery, regulatory approval)
• Internal: Between activities within the project team's control

Dependency management process:

• Identify: Map all dependencies during planning and refinement
• Document: Record dependencies in project plans, boards, or tools
• Communicate: Ensure all parties understand their dependencies
• Monitor: Track the status of dependencies actively
• Mitigate: Develop contingency plans for dependency risks
• Resolve: Address blocked dependencies promptly

Strategies for reducing dependencies:

• Design work to minimise cross-team dependencies
• Use APIs and interfaces to decouple system dependencies
• Co-locate or align schedules of dependent teams
• Use architectural patterns that reduce coupling
• Build mock services or stubs to enable parallel work
• Sequence work to manage dependencies within sprints