Simon Sez IT

Online software training and video tutorials for Microsoft, Adobe & more

  • Course List
    • Adobe
      • Dreamweaver
        • Dreamweaver CC
        • Dreamweaver CS6
        • Dreamweaver CS5
        • Dreamweaver CS4
      • Flash
        • Flash CS5
      • InDesign
        • InDesign CS6
        • InDesign CS5
      • Photoshop
        • Photoshop CS6
        • Photoshop CS5
        • Adobe Photoshop CS4
      • Photoshop Elements
        • Photoshop Elements 2022
        • Photoshop Elements 2019
        • Photoshop Elements 2018
        • Photoshop Elements 15
        • Photoshop Elements 14
        • Photoshop Elements 13
        • Photoshop Elements 12
        • Photoshop Elements 11
        • Photoshop Elements 10
        • Photoshop Elements 9
        • Photoshop Elements 8
    • Microsoft
      • Access
        • Access 2019
        • Access 2019 Advanced
        • Access 2016
        • Access 2016 Advanced
        • Access 2013
        • Access 2013 Advanced
        • Access 2010
        • Access 2010 Advanced
        • Access 2007
      • Excel
        • Excel 2021 Advanced
        • Excel 2021 Intermediate
        • Excel 2021 Beginners
        • PivotTables for Beginners
        • Excel Dashboards
        • Advanced Formulas in Excel
        • Excel for Business Analysts
        • Advanced PivotTables
        • Power Pivot, Power Query and DAX in Excel
        • Excel 2019 Beginners (Mac)
        • Excel 2019 Beginners
        • Excel 2019 Advanced
        • Excel 2016 Beginners
        • Excel 2016 Intermediate
        • Excel 2016 Advanced
        • Excel 2013
        • Excel 2013 Advanced
        • Excel 2010 Beginners
        • Excel 2010 Advanced
        • Excel 2007
      • OneNote
        • OneNote Desktop and Windows 10
        • OneNote 2016
      • Outlook
        • Outlook 2019
        • Outlook 2016
        • Outlook 2013
        • Outlook 2010
        • Outlook 2007
      • Power Automate
        • Introduction to Power Automate
      • PowerPoint
        • PowerPoint 2021
        • PowerPoint 2019
        • PowerPoint 2016
        • PowerPoint 2013
        • PowerPoint 2010
        • PowerPoint 2007
      • Project
        • Project 2019
        • Project 2019 Advanced
        • Project 2016
        • Project 2016 Advanced
        • Project 2013
        • Project 2013 Advanced
        • Project 2010
        • Project 2010 Advanced
      • Publisher
        • Publisher 2013
      • SharePoint
        • SharePoint Online
        • SharePoint Foundation 2013
        • SharePoint Server 2013
        • SharePoint Foundation 2010
      • Teams
        • Microsoft Teams
      • VBA
        • Macros and VBA for Beginners
        • VBA for Excel
        • VBA Intermediate Training
      • Visio
        • Microsoft Visio 2019
        • Visio 2016
        • Visio 2013
        • Microsoft Visio 2010
      • Windows
        • Windows 11
        • Windows 10 (2020 Update)
        • Windows 10
        • Windows 8
        • Windows 7
        • Windows Vista
      • Word
        • Word 2021
        • Word 2019 Advanced
        • Word 2019
        • Word 2016
        • Word 2013
        • Word 2010
        • Word 2007
    • QuickBooks
      • QuickBooks
        • QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2022
        • QuickBooks Pro 2021
        • QuickBooks Online Advanced
        • QuickBooks Online
        • QuickBooks Canada
        • QuickBooks Pro 2020
        • QuickBooks 2019
        • QuickBooks 2018
        • QuickBooks Pro 2017
        • QuickBooks Pro 2016
        • QuickBooks Pro 2015
        • QuickBooks Pro 2014
        • QuickBooks Pro 2013
        • QuickBooks Pro 2012
        • QuickBooks Pro 2011
        • QuickBooks Pro 2010
        • QuickBooks Pro 2009
    • Web Development
      • AngularJs
        • AngularJS Crash Course
      • Dreamweaver
        • Dreamweaver CC
        • Dreamweaver CS6
        • Dreamweaver CS5
        • Dreamweaver CS4
      • Bootstrap
        • Bootstrap Framework
      • Html/CSS
        • HTML/CSS Crash Course
        • HTML5 Essentials
      • Python
        • Pandas for Beginners
        • Introduction to Python
      • Java
        • Java for Beginners
      • JavaScript
        • JavaScript for Beginners
        • jQuery Crash Course
      • MySql
        • MySQL for Beginners
      • PHP
        • PHP for Beginners
        • Advanced PHP Programming
      • XML
        • XML Crash Course
    • Data Analysis
      • Financial Modeling
        • Financial Risk Management
        • Financial Forecasting and Modeling
      • Alteryx
        • Introduction to Alteryx
      • Power BI
        • Power BI – Beyond the Basics
        • Power BI
      • Qlik Sense
        • Qlik Sense
      • R Programming
        • R Programming
      • Tableau
        • Tableau Desktop Advanced
        • Tableau Desktop
      • Python
        • Pandas for Beginners
        • Introduction to Python
    • Work Productivity
      • Google Sheets
        • Google Sheets for Beginners
      • Confluence
        • Introduction to Confluence
      • Monday
        • Getting Started in Monday.com
      • Asana
        • Asana for Employees and Managers
        • Introduction to Asana
      • Jira
        • Getting Started in Jira
  • For Business
  • About Us
    • Testimonials
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Membership
    • About Us
  • Pricing
  • Free Resources
  • Sign In
  • Sign Up
Home > Microsoft Project > How to Create Task Dependencies in Microsoft Project 2016

How to Create Task Dependencies in Microsoft Project 2016

Today we are going to look at dependencies while adding some more detail to the Wedding Project we began in our previous article.

What is dependency?

A dependency in Project 2016 reflects a task that is dependent on another task, or something else that should happen. This can be complex, but in the most straightforward type of dependency, we would designate that another task cannot start until something else is finished or completed.

Take a look at our free, 6-hour Microsoft Project Course RIGHT HERE.

Creating Dependencies

Let’s take a straightforward dependency, Task 6 and 7: Select Wedding Dress and Order Wedding Dress.

It is clear that you will not order a wedding dress until you have spent some time selecting it. Once you have selected the dress you will want to order it

The very simplest way to record in the schedule that that one task (Task 7 Order Wedding Dress) is dependent on another (Task 6 Select Wedding Dress): First select Task 6 Hold the Control key and select Task 7.

How to Assign Dependent Task in Project 2016

Now take a look at the Task Tab Schedule Group and look for the Chain Link that says “link the selected task”. Here we can link tasks so that one is not started until another is finished. This establishes the simplest type of dependency.

How to Link Tasks to Another Task in Project 2016

On the right in our Gantt Chart, we can see an arrow next to the task indicating the dependency.

MS Project 2016 online training by Simon Sez IT

When the dress has been Selected and Ordered, we can move onto the Measurements and Fittings task can start. We could select each task and create the dependency just as we did before. However, if we right-click on the selection, you will see a Chain Link button in the mini toolbar with the same function.

Chain Link in Project 2016

Let’s move onto to Task 9 Select and Order Bridesmaids Dresses. Now this is not a task that is completely dependent on the Wedding Dress. Although in many cases, one might not start choosing the selecting the Bridesmaid Dresses until they were certain about the Wedding Dress.

Therefore we may want to set the dependency as such that the Wedding Dress must be selected before the Bridesmaid Dresses. Select the two tasks and set the dependency.

You will notice that our Wedding Dress task now has a number of tasks that are dependent on it.

Note that any task may not depend on other several tasks, but several other tasks may also be dependent on it.

Adjusting Dependencies

Let’s look at the dependencies in a little more detail. If you hover over the arrow that represents the dependencies we just set up, there is a screen tick that appears that gives us the summary of our dependency. It is an FS or Finish-to-Start Dependency. The FS designation means that first task in the dependency (Wedding Dresses) must Finish before the (Select and Order Bridesmaid Dresses) task can Start.

How to Assign Finish to Start Dependency in Project 2016

In fact if you double-click on that line, we get a task dependency dialogue where we could change that dependency.

Here lists the To and From of the dependency with a “Finish-to-Start” designation and a lag of 0 days. If for some reason you needed a gap of time between the two tasks, let’s say 5, we can set that here.

How to Add Task Dependency in Project 2016

Take a look at our free, 6-hour Microsoft Project Course RIGHT HERE.

Get 18-hours of Microsoft Project 2016 video training for as little as $25. Click here to learn more. >>

Facebook Linkedin Twitter
Simon Calder

Chris “Simon” Calder was working as a Project Manager in IT for one of Los Angeles’ most prestigious cultural institutions, LACMA. He taught himself to use Microsoft Project from a giant textbook and hated every moment of it. Online learning was in its infancy then, but he spotted an opportunity and made an online MS Project course - the rest, as they say, is history!

30 day vertical banner

Most Popular Posts

  • How to Insert a Checkbox in Excel? 3 EASY Examples
  • How to Autofit Excel Cells? 3 Best Methods
  • XLOOKUP Google Sheets – 4 Best Alternatives!
  • Dashboards in Excel Using Pivot Tables, Pivot Charts and Slicers
  • Free Microsoft Project Training Course
  • Free Microsoft Access Tutorial for Beginners (3.5 Hours Video)
  • How to Use Blending Mode With Layers in Adobe Photoshop Elements 15
  • How to Create Charts and Graphs in Microsoft Excel 2016

DISCOVER HOW TO GET YOUR PROJECTS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET WITH MICROSOFT PROJECT 2016 TRAINING AT SIMONSEZIT.COM

START MY MEMBERSHIP

Similar Posts

How to Track Changes in Word? A Step-by-Step Guide

How to Fix the Excel NAME Error? 3 Simple Tips

How to Run the Easy Step Interview in QuickBooks 2018

How to Rip a CD in Windows 8

How to Print and Use Printing Features in Microsoft Excel 2016

Basic Forecasting in Excel: Recorded Webinar

Course Categories

  • Web Development
  • QuickBooks
  • Microsoft
  • Adobe
  • Data Analysis

About Us

  • About Us
  • Free Resources
  • Affiliates
  • Become an Instructor

Products

  • Pricing and Plans
  • Business Pricing
  • Government Discounts
  • Non-Profit Discounts

Support

  • FAQ’s
  • Contact Us
  • DVD support

Connect

YoutubeFacebook
© 2022 Simon Sez IT, Inc.
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy
888.817.6665 Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (ET)