Working with dependencies

The dependency features are available only in the Enterprise plan. Click here to learn how to upgrade.

A dependency provides two major behaviors

• Dependency linked tasks can propagate dates automatically when propagation is turned on.
• If a task is assigned to a different person that is waiting on its predecessor to be done, and that predecessor is marked done, the successor assigned person will automatically receive an email notice saying their waiting task is ready.

How-to Video

How to add a dependency link

1. Start with your successor task, the task that the predecessor task will point to. Click on the dependency link icon (looks like a chain link) to expand the task to the dependency view.
2. Click the search field to see a list of task on that page or search for a task name that is located someplace else in the project. 
3. Click the predecessor task name from the search result. This will add that task as a link.
4. You are allowed to add more than one dependency per task.

Cross-project dependencies

If you need to link to a task from another project, when you add a dependency to a task (above steps), click the project name dropdown arrow and select your other project. This will then allow you to search for a task in that project. If your target successor project is in a stack and you don't find that project in the dropdown list, that project most likely is set to Done. Just so you know, all Done projects are not listed in the dropdown list of projects.

How to remove a dependency link

1. Click the task dependency icon to expand your task view to show the dependency.
2. Click the dependency task bar to display the "remove" button/
3. Click the remove button.

How to work with different types of dependency 

There are three types of dependency behavior for date propagation. Click the task dependency icon to expand your task view to show the dependency. Notice under the dependency are three radio buttons.

• Finish-to-Start. The finish date of the predecessor task will determine the start date of the successor task (the task that's expanded).
• Start-to-Start. The start date of the predecessor task will determine the start date of the successor task.
• Finish-to-Finish. The finish date of the predecessor task will determine the start date of the successor task.

Turning on and off project-wide dependency propagation

Click the task dependency icon to expand your task view to show the dependency. Notice under the dependency three radio buttons is a check box labeled "Auto propagate dates across all project dependencies". This feature allows the project admin to turn on or off the dependency propagation feature.

• When to have it checked on? The best use is when the project admin is planning task dates across the project. The propagation of dependency task dates makes it super easy to adjust dates.
• When to have it unchecked? Once the project admin has established good task dates, they may want to turn it off. The reason is to avoid the project dates from moving forwards or backwards when a team member changes the dates of their task. This is helpful for projects that have a hard stop date. However, if the project is super fluid, then you might want to leave this check box checked.

Click here to learn how email workflow notification works with dependencies.

How to automatically set up a sequence of dependencies across all tasks in a list

Let's say you're lazy like me and would like a short-cut on setting up a sequence of dependencies all at once with the finish-to-start links on a list of tasks.

No problem! Check out the task list's more kabab button in the upper right. You will see an option called "Add sequential dependencies for all tasks". Click this and Pie will automatically sequence that list. If you already have some dependencies, it will first ask you if you want to continue and override what's already there.

Once they are sequenced with this feature, you can go back and un-sequence them using this same button.