🔗 Dependency Management

Identifying, tracking, and resolving dependencies across tasks and teams.

Types of dependencies

• Finish-to-Start (FS) — Task B can't start until Task A finishes (most common)
• Start-to-Start (SS) — Task B can't start until Task A starts
• Finish-to-Finish (FF) — Task B can't finish until Task A finishes
• External — Waiting on a third party, vendor, or another team

Dependency mapping

1. List all tasks and deliverables
2. For each task, ask: "What must be done before this can start?"
3. Draw the dependency graph (DAG)
4. Identify the critical path — the longest chain of dependencies
5. Flag bottlenecks and single points of failure

Managing dependencies

• Make dependencies explicit in the project board
• Assign a DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) for each dependency
• Set early warning triggers — if a dependency is at risk, notify immediately
• Build buffers around critical path items
• Run cross-team syncs for inter-team dependencies

Red flags

• Circular dependencies (A depends on B depends on A)
• Hidden dependencies discovered mid-sprint
• Single person as a bottleneck for multiple tasks
• External dependencies with no SLA or fallback