In this example, have a basic plan in P4W with a few tasks. We want to create a basic waterfall schedule where the first task needs to finish before the second can start, the second must finish before the third, and so on. Initially, there are no dependencies, so everything is scheduled to start on the same day:
Using the "Depends On" Field
The first way to add dependencies to a plan in P4W is to use the Depends On field.
- In the Grid view of P4W, click on Add Column and then choose Depends on:
This is the equivalent of the Predecessors field in other versions of Microsoft Project, Project Server, and Project Online.
- In this example, I want "Task B" to depend on "Task A". So, I will click on the Depends on cell that corresponds to "Task B". In the box, one option is to type the number of the task, like "1":
Another option is to type a portion of the task name such as "Tas". All matching tasks will appear:
Either way, once you have found the task that you want, select it from the dropdown, and the two tasks will be linked:
Notice how "Task B" is now scheduled to start after "Task A" finishes. The red line in the screenshot above is for emphasis; it does not appear in P4W.
In the Timeline view of P4W, you can verify that the two tasks are linked:
Using the "Dependents (After)" Field
The second way to add dependencies to a plan in P4W is to use the Dependents (After) field, which is the inverse of the Depends On field discussed above.
- In the Grid view of P4W, click on Add Column and then choose Dependents (After):
- Notice that "Task A" already has a dependent numbered "2", which was based on the predecessor we added in the previous section:
The Dependents (After) field is the same as the Successors field in other versions of Microsoft Project, Project Server, and Project Online. It will always show the same information as the Depends On field, but in reverse notation.
- In this example, I want "Task C" to depend on "Task B", meaning that "Task B" should have a dependent of "Task C". So, I will click on the Depends on cell that corresponds to "Task B". In the box, one option is to type the number of the task, like "3":
Another option is to type a portion of the task name such as "C". All matching tasks will appear:
Either way, once you have found the task that you want, select it from the dropdown, and the two tasks will be linked:
Notice how "Task C" is now scheduled to start after "Task B" finishes. The red line in the screenshot above is for emphasis; it does not appear in P4W.
In the Timeline view of P4W, you can verify that the two tasks are linked:
Drag and Drop in the Timeline
The third way to add dependencies to a plan in P4W the Timeline view to connect tasks with your mouse.
- Go to the Timeline and find "Task D", which is not currently linked to the other tasks::
- Hover your mouse over the left-hand edge of "Task D" until a blue dot appears:
- Left-click and drag the blue dot from "Task D" to the end of "Task C" where you will see another blue dot:
When you release your mouse, the two tasks will be linked:
This is a finish-to-start dependency, because "Task D" cannot start until "Task C" finishes.
Other Dependency Types
Currently, Project for Web (P4W) only supports Finish-to-Start dependencies.
Project for Web does not support these types of dependencies:
- Finish-to-Finish
- Start-to-Start
- Start-to-Finish
If you need more robust types of dependency logic, you may be better suited to a more advanced version of Microsoft Project, Project Online, or Project Server, all of which support more robust dependencies.