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Dependency Management

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What is Enhanced Dependency Management?

Enhanced Dependency Management allows you to establish clear relationships between work items that depend on each other, with rich contextual information to help teams coordinate effectively. Unlike parent-child relationships that represent work breakdown structure, dependency relationships show when one piece of work truly depends on another to progress.

Key Features

  1. Create both incoming and outgoing dependencies between cards on the same or different boards
  2. Add context to dependencies with metadata such as Connection Timing (Finish-to-Finish, Start-to-Finish, etc.)
  3. View dependencies from both connected cards
  4. Manage dependencies through a dedicated tab in card details
  5. Connect existing cards as dependencies directly through the Dependencies tab

Visualizing and Managing Card Relationships

The card detail view now includes dedicated interfaces for both parent/child relationships and dependency relationships.

Parent/Child Tab

The Parent/Child tab allows you to:

  • View parent relationship information
  • View and manage child cards
  • Add new parent/child relationships
  • Filter and sort hierarchical relationships

Dependencies Tab

The Dependencies tab provides:

  • Clearly separated sections for incoming and outgoing dependencies
  • View key metadata for each dependency
  • Visual indicators for dependency status
  • Update dependency status

Connecting Cards as Dependencies

You can create dependencies between work items (cards) using the Dependencies tab in the card details panel. The process allows you to connect both new and existing cards.

  1. Open a card to view its details.
  2. Navigate to the Dependencies tab.
  3. Select the Connect button.
  4. Choose either Existing cards or New cards:
    • For Existing cards, search for the card you want to connect
    • For New cards, fill out the new card details
  5. Select the Connection Type for either Incoming Dependency or Outgoing Dependency.
  6. Provide metadata about the dependency timing (Finish to Start is the default).
  7. Save the dependency.

Quick Connect Existing Cards as Dependencies through the Context Menu

Using the right-click context menu: 

  1. Right-click on the card (or cmd/ctrl + click to select multiple cards) you want to connect as dependencies to another card.
  2. Select Connect Dependencies in the context menu.
  3. Select the card you want to connect as a dependency.
  4. Configure the Connection Type and Timing.
  5. Click Save to establish the connection.

This right-click method provides a quick and efficient way to establish dependencies directly from the board view without having to navigate through card details. 

Viewing Dependencies

You can easily view and manage all dependencies associated with a card:

  1. Open a card to view its details.
  2. Navigate to the dedicated Dependencies tab.
  3. Review incoming and outgoing dependencies in their respective sections.

The Dependencies tab provides a comprehensive view of all dependencies, allowing you to quickly understand relationships between work items.

Features Coming in Future Releases

The following features are planned for upcoming releases (subject to change):

Dependency Visualization on & Across Boards

  • Visual indicators on cards showing incoming or outgoing dependencies
  • Tooltips with basic dependency information on hover
  • Colored strings between cards on the same board or across different boards
  • Different colors representing different dependency statuses
  • Toggle dependency visualization on/off as needed

Automatic Exception and Date Conflict Detection

  • Analyzes Planned Start and Planned Finish dates between connected dependency pairs
  • Flags date conflicts when dependency timing is illogical
  • Visual warnings on connected cards when conflicts are detected
  • Simple explanation of date conflicts on hover
  • Warning indicators for cards with date conflicts in board views
  • Highlights for exceptions that could impact dependency delivery (blocked, missed dates, overload, inactivity, etc.)

Questions and Feedback

As an early access feature, we welcome your feedback on Enhanced Dependency Management. Please submit any questions, issues, or suggestions through the feedback form available in the Labs section of your AgilePlace account.

Related Articles:

  • Understanding Parent-Child Relationships in AgilePlace
  • Managing Work Dependencies Across Teams
  • Agile Planning and Dependency Management Best Practices