Dependency scheduling & date auto-shifting

Overview

Office Timeline Pro+ allows you to link tasks and milestones through dependencies and automatically schedule (or reschedule) them based on the relationship between them. When the date of an item is changed, the tasks or milestones that depend on it will automatically shift dates too according to their dependency relationships and your scheduling settings.

This guide will explain all the details about dependency scheduling. You’ll learn about:

A) The 4 types of dependencies & how they work

B) Scheduling settings & the difference between them

Read the full guide or use the links above to jump to the chapter you’re interested in.

A) The 4 types of dependencies & how they work

There are 4 main types of dependencies, each with their own “rules” or particularities:

1. Finish to Start

In a Finish to Start dependency, the Predecessor must end before the Successor can begin.

This means that, unless otherwise instructed by you, Office Timeline will attempt to prevent overlaps:

• A change on a Predecessor’s dates will shift the dates of the Successor when it causes an overlap.
• Unless you specifically allow exceptions through your settings, changes in a Successor’s dates will not be permitted when they cause an overlap (the Successor’ start will be rescheduled to the closest date after the Predecessor’s end).

2. Start to start

In a Start to Start dependency, the Predecessor must begin before the Successor can begin.

This means that:

• Moving a Predecessor’s start date after the Successor’s will automatically shift the dates of the Successor to comply with the dependency relationship.
• Unless you specifically allow conflicts as exceptions through your settings, moving a Successor’s start date before the Predecessor’s will not be permitted (the Successor’s start will be rescheduled to the closest date after the Predecessor’s start).

3. Finish to Finish

In a Finish to Finish dependency, the Predecessor must end before the Successor can end.

This means that:

• Moving a Predecessor’s end date after the Successor’s will automatically shift the dates of the Successor to comply with the dependency relationship.
• Unless you specifically allow conflicts as exceptions through your settings, moving a Successor’s end date before the Predecessor’s will not be permitted (the Successor’s end will be rescheduled to the closest date after the Predecessor’s end).

4. Start to Finish

In a Start to Finish dependency, the Predecessor must begin before the Successor can end.

This means that:

• Moving a Predecessor’s start date after the Successor’s end date will automatically shift the dates of the Successor to comply with the dependency relationship.
• Unless you specifically allow exceptions through your settings, moving a Successor’s end date before the start of the Predecessor will not be allowed (the Successor’s end will be rescheduled to the closest date after the Predecessor’s start).

B) Dependency scheduling settings

Office Timeline Pro+ provides multiple dependency scheduling settings for you to choose from, so you can update your timeline the way it’s most convenient for you:

1. Flexible Automatic

2. Strict Automatic

3. Manual

To access and change these settings on your current timeline slide, go to the Style Pane and click the Scheduling Settings button on the Dependency Link tab:

To set your dependency scheduling preferences as a default for any future timelines you create, click Settings on the Office Timeline ribbon and go to the Dependencies tab:

Now let’s see what each of the scheduling options does.

1. Flexible Automatic scheduling

The Flexible Automatic setting allows slack on the timeline, which means it permits time gaps or buffer zones between dependent activities, besides any lag times directly scheduled into the project.

1. When creating a dependency link between two items that have slack between them, the slack time will remain as it was::

2. When there is slack between two linked items, delaying the Predecessor will first “eat up” the slack before shifting the Successor’s dates:

3. When there’s no slack between two linked items, pushing a Predecessor’s dates either forward or backward will also shift its Successor’s dates as per their dependency relationship:

4. Whether there’s slack or not between two linked items, pushing a Successor’s dates either forward or backward will not affect its Predecessor. It will just increase or decrease the slack time between the 2 items:

Handling dependency conflicts in the Flexible Automatic setting

Within the Flexible Automatic setting, you also have the option to choose how Office Timeline Pro+ handles dependency conflicts:

1. Don’t allow conflicts.  With this option, whenever an item’s dates conflict with its dependency relationships, we’ll automatically reschedule the conflicting item to comply with the dependency rules, as described in chapter A).

2. Allow conflicts as exceptions. With this option, we will automatically allow dependency conflicts on the timeline, but they will be treated as exceptions. This means that, as soon the conflictual items are moved to a correct position, date shifting will function again as per the dependency relationships.

3. Ask me what to do every time. With this option, each time we detect a dependency conflict on your timeline, we’ll ask you whether to allow it or not.

2. Strict Automatic scheduling

As opposed to the Flexible mode, the Strict Automatic setting does not allow slack or dependency conflicts. Lag, however, is allowed since it’s considered as part of the dependency relationship.

1. When creating a dependency link between two items that have slack between them, all slack will be removed:

2. When pushing a Predecessor’s dates forward or back in time, its Successor will always move with it:

3. Any lag time scheduled into the project will remain as originally scheduled when adjusting Predecessor’s dates:

4. Changing a Successor’s dates in any way that would add slack between the dependent items or create dependency conflicts is not possible (the successor will be moved back to its original dates):

5. You can, however, adjust a Successor’s date as long as it wouldn’t lead to slack or dependency conflicts:

3. Manual scheduling

The Manual setting can be useful for brainstorming, early estimations, and initial project meetings. In the Manual mode, any dependencies you add to your timeline are strictly visual and don’t impact scheduling. When you push an activity forward of back in time, any other ones that depend on it will stay put by default, but you can manually update them too as needed.

 

If you have any questions or need further help with dependency scheduling, contact us at support@officetimeline.com. Will be happy to help!