How Can I Visualize Dependencies with Connections?
Any work that requires other work to be completed, or is required for other work to be completed, is part of a dependency. This might be work that has to be completed in a sequential order or work that requires other members of your team, or other teams, to complete steps in a process before other steps can proceed.
How do I visualize dependent work in AgilePlace?
You can visualize both simple and complex dependencies in AgilePlace utilizing parent and child card connections. Multi-parent and child card connections allow for complex relationships between cards that help you to easily track linked work items on a single board or across multiple boards.
To track dependencies using connections, simply create new connections between dependent work items.
Here’s an Example
“Project Team 1” and “Project Team 2” are two larger projects belonging to two different teams and both rely on “Project Team A” to be completed in order to move forward. However, “Project Team A” cannot move forward until “Step 1 Team A,” “Step 2 Team A,” and “Step 3 Team A” have been completed.
By making “Project Team 1” and “Project Team 2” parent cards of “Project Team A,” Team 1 and Team 2 will be able to easily see when “Project Team A” has been completed by monitoring the progress bar that appears on their respective parent cards. So it's easy to see when the next work item can move forward, even when the cards are in different locations.
And by making “Project Team A” a parent card of “Step 1 Team A,” “Step 2 Team A,” and “Step 3 Team A,” the progress bar will indicate when all three of these steps are done and Team A can move forward on their project.
So, when “Step 1 Team A,” “Step 2 Team A,” and “Step 3 Team A” are all completed, the progress bar on “Project Team A” will show as complete, and work can then move forward on that project.
Then, once “Project Team A” is completed, Teams 1 and 2 can move forward with their dependent projects. All of this work can be tracked from each team’s individual board, keeping teams from having to constantly check in on project status or create duplicate cards on each other’s boards.
More Connections Information
For more information on parent and child card connections, check out our connections overview and related articles here.