In plain English
This term describes a timing link between pieces of project work, where one item cannot begin or end independently. Another task or deliverable sets when that item's start or finish can happen. It is about how project items are tied together in time.
In context
Here, "dependency" names the earlier task or deliverable whose timing determines when the planned work can start or finish.
- Situation
- Collaborating remotely through projects, tasks, meetings, handoffs, and approvals
- What it communicates
- names required upstream work in a project plan
Meaning limits
By itself, the term does not say why the relationship exists or how long the affected work will take.
Examples
“The paving crew could not start until the drainage trench was finished, so the plan showed a dependency between the two tasks.”
“Before the team set a date for painting, the wall repairs were still the main dependency.”