Processdependencies

Processdependencies refer to the relationships between processes, tasks, or operations in which one cannot complete or proceed until another has completed, reached a certain state, or provided a required input. They are common in project management, software development, IT operations, and business process management. Dependencies can be internal to a system or external, and they may be driven by timing, resources, or policy constraints.

Common types of process dependencies include finish-to-start (FS), where one task must finish before the next can start; start-to-start (SS), where the second task can begin only after the first has started; finish-to-finish (FF), where the second task can finish only after the first finishes; and start-to-finish (SF), where the second task cannot finish until the first has started. Additional distinctions include mandatory versus discretionary dependencies, and external versus internal dependencies, which help characterize how binding or optional a dependency is and where it resides.

Analysis and visualization often use dependency graphs or networks, directed graphs, PERT charts, CPM networks, Gantt charts, or dependency matrices. Projects and systems typically aim for acyclic dependency structures to enable scheduling; cycles can indicate deadlocks or unresolved circular waits that require design changes or policy adjustments.

Management strategies focus on identifying and documenting dependencies early, decoupling where possible, and enabling parallel work. Techniques include asynchronous communication, queues, interface versioning, contract testing, and feature toggles. In software, employing modular design and dependency injection can reduce tight coupling and improve resilience to dependency failures. Monitoring, health checks, and circuit breakers help mitigate cascading issues when a dependency degrades.

Examples include software builds where a library must be built before the application can compile, or business processes where an approval step must complete before downstream fulfillment can proceed.