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dependencies

Dear SS friends,

sometimes i can start a second task half way though the completion of the first task although not before the first task has at least started and progressed some way. Is there a way I can have dependencies that can start part way though the dependent task?

Hope this is clear!

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Brett Evans

The closest you can come to this is (IMHO) to have your predecessor be Start to Start. Smartsheet woudl then allow the two tasks start at the same time.

http://help.smartsheet.com/articles/765727-enabling-dependencies-using-predecessors

You could add some conditional formattign so that if the percentage complete of the predecessor was <1% then the dependent task is greyed out. It would be a visual hint but woiuld force the predecessor to have begun before moving to the second task.

Si Spence

Okay, thank you. I'll give that a try.

Can i I ask you one more question please...

we have immovable product launch dates at the end of our projects that I don't want to move no matter what dependencies are in place around it, can I lock this date?

Brett Evans

I usually stand over my developer and use my project manager voice.

In smartsheet you could put the Launch date in a cell up top and apply conditional formatting to meake the whole line go red if dependincies push the launch date in the project plan greater than the fixed date in the first line. Then you know to do some PM magic to adjust the project plan.

Si Spence

with all the formatting that I've got going on my sheet im in danger of lighting it up like Vegas!

J. Craig Williams

Si, welcome to project management.

Smartsheet does not handle task constraints like some other PM tools.

If you have a dependency, things may move.

I usually do as Brett suggests and mark the fixed dates with conditional formatting and also add functionality give the PM a notification if it wants to shift.

Start-to-start and finish-to-finish are more common than most schedules would lead us to believe. Unfortunately, Smartsheet does not let us use both.

Example: I can start painting the wall after you have starting building the wall, but I can't finish the painting until you finish the wall.

Craig