I believe that everyone can learn from the experiences of others. In this article, I will share how I planned for and studied in order to pass the PMP exam. I followed these five steps:

1. Choose Your Preparatory Course

You need to search for at least three training centers and compare the material, benefits and costs. After that, choose the best cost/benefit for you.

2. Choose Your Study Material

Pay attention when choosing the material. You will have a lot of options of books, courses, blogs and specialized websites that will offer everything about the PMP certification. You should choose, at maximum, three books because you will not have time to read more than that. When I studied for the exam, I used preparatory course materials, with books and simulation exams. I have no doubt that the material above is enough to study and pass the exam.

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)
• The PMP Exam Prep textbook by Rita Mulcahy
• FASTrack PMP Exam simulation software (with over 1,600 questions)

3. Plan Your Studies

You’ll find that people who studied one month, three months, six months and even a year for the exam. You have to find the time-frame that will work best for you. In my case, I did the preparatory course, and after three months I took the exam with success.

My plan for studying was done in 7 steps:

1. After I finished my preparatory course, I did my first FASTrack PMP Exam simulation to check my level of knowledge at that moment and recorded the results.
2. I read the PMBOK Guide, underlined the main topics and wrote important notes.
3. When I finished with the PMBOK Guide, I began studying the Mulcahy textbook, again underling the main topics and taking note of important facts.
4. At this point, with much more knowledge, I did a second FASTrack simulation so that I could compare the results between the first and second simulations.
5. The next step was a quick revision of the underlined topics and the important notes.
6. Once I completed the revision, I did a third FASTrack exam so that I could compare the results of the three simulations and again track the improvement. At this point, I reached a 90% score in the simulation.
7. The last step was a revision of some questions and topics to finish my studying and schedule the exam.

4. Start Eligibility for The Exam

In general, the first thing that people do is they start their eligibility to write the exam. However, consider that you have one year from the date that you became eligible. I consider that a mistake because sometimes you can’t follow through with your study plan. What can happen is, other priorities take over and before you know it you have lost that year of eligibility.So when is the best moment to start the eligibility period for the exam? I started mine when I finished my preparatory course and while I was working through my 7 step study plan. What did I need to meet eligibility? On the PMI.org, you can find the credential handbook that explains all of the details about eligibility: how to pay for the exam, the audit process, the process of Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR), etc.

5. Schedule The Exam

Schedule your exam after your eligibility has been approved. You can find all the information that you need in the handbook. The cost of the exam is $405USD for PMI members or $555USD for non-PMI members. You should consider becoming a PMI member before paying for your exam.

Final Tips

Make sure that you choose a Registered Education Provider (REP) that is registered and authorized by the Project Management Institute. Do not spend a lot of time searching for exam materials on the internet. It will take-away from your study time. There isn’t a “magic recipe” to being prepared for the exam. The key is to find your own way and time for studying. The three things I considered very important to achieving success was the following: planning, focus and discipline. While studying schedule your exam, it provides more motivation to study. Do not be afraid of the PMP exam! There’re a lot of things to study, and you may think that you aren’t prepared enough, but just simply follow your study plan and you will be successful. Believe in yourself!

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Projects originate from various sources, including an internal business need for a product or service upgrade, an external client request or some kind of demand in the market. Whatever the project’s origin, a project manager must have a great plan in order to execute that project well.

As a perpetual student, continuing to hone your project management craft, perhaps you’ve previously stopped by our website. If so, earlier this month, you may have come across the article “Top 5 Project Management Phases” written by Roli Pathak.

In her article, Roli mentions that there are different ideas about exactly how many stages or phases are needed or should occur in order to spell out each step in a project plan effectively so that things can run smoothly. She references the book titled Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) by the Project Management Institute, saying that it “points-out that the number of phases is determined by the project team and type of project.”

Further, she explains, that “project management is solely based on the idea that a project goes through a number a phases characterized by a distinct set of activities or tasks that take the project from conception to conclusion.” Roli provides an overview of an organizational strategy that includes the following 5 phases: 

1. Initiation
2. Planning
3. Execution
4. Monitoring & Control
5. Closure

Exploring Phase #1 – Initiation

In this article series, we’re going to delve further
into the details for each of these 5 phases of a project. Roli describes Phase 1, the Initiation Phase, as the formal start time of the project during which the general scope is “named and defined.” There are several pieces to consider within this first stage of the project’s life cycle.

Phase #1 Documentation 

• Concept – Initially, the decision makers will analyze all aspects of the project in order to determine if it offers any benefit to the organization as a whole. During this phase, they will consider feasibility, resources, profit, etc. as they decide whether or not to move forward and how. While conceptualizing, they will fine tune the concept into a description statement which will include the objectives, purpose and deliverables, and, will serve as the foundation on which all other project details are based.
• Proposal – Once the decision makers have approved the project concept, they may prepare a written proposal detailing the scope of the project as well as the financial benefits. This document will provide details about the “what, why, how and how much” of the plan. Using a risk assessment tool would be useful during this documentation step, as this information would then be given to stakeholders and investors for their consideration while they contemplate moving forward with the project.
• Charter –The project charter may also be referred to as a project initiation document or PID. This document includes all the details regarding the project, why it is necessary, etc. and will include everything that will be required to accomplish the project objective.This is the formal and final documentation of phase #1 that authorizes the selecting and enabling of the project manager to take charge of the appointed team and to acquire specified resources. Once this document is approved, the initiation phase ends and the planning phase begins. The project charter would include an informal plan on which Phase 2, the Planning phase, will be built. It should include a task list, time estimate and projected resources needed to complete the project.

Working through the documentation process assists decision makers with creating a well-defined, thoroughly evaluated plan so that they are able to set decisive goals. These documents also show the commitment of executive management to the project, which reflects positively with investors.

Project Manager Selection

As previously mentioned, during the charter step, the Project Manager is chosen. Since this person plays such a pivotal role as it pertains to the success of the project, the charter should also include a detailed list of criteria that decisions makers take into account when selecting the person who will fill this critical position.

Spending the appropriate and necessary time making this crucial choice will help company leadership mitigate issues throughout the project life cycle. Some attributes of a qualified Project Manager would include the capability to deliver on the following:

• Oversight ensuring timeliness and budget consciousness while delivering a high quality result,
• Management of daily project requirements by providing leadership, support and direction for team members, resolving any conflicts that affect progress and
• Organization of the project plan via scheduling, planning and reporting while looking for ways to expedite quality.

Wrap-Up & Additional Resources

Your path to being a project manager may differ drastically from others you know who hold the same title. Perhaps you have a degree or 2 in the field, or maybe you’re just extremely organized, so
your boss put you in the position, and you picked up the terminology along the way. Whatever your background and education, what you learned in the past only goes so far, and that’s probably why you’re here!

Someone once said, “If you’re not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you” (Anonymous). You’re proof of the latter is learning more about your business and how to do the job better!

To go even further into aspects of the Initiation Phase, check out this video!

If you’re looking for more info about how to draft an effective project charter, here’s a video that will help!

For some helpful online resources that will get you moving in the right direction when creating documentation for the initiation phase, check out Project Management Docs or Project Management Institute (PMI) Tools & Templates.  PMDocuments.com provides a list of template resources as well.

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If you own a small business, you might need tools that can help you manage your projects on a strict budget. Fortunately, there are several project management tools that allow you to do that for free. While most of the tools on this list aren’t entirely free, they do offer freemium versions that enable business owners to run smaller ventures.

Here’re 8 of the best, so far.

1. iCoordinator

If your business is just starting to spread its wings, use iCoordinator. This is project management software that you can use to collaborate with different members of your team, track tasks in real time and basically run a small business on a single platform. A freemium account on iCoordinator offers features like desktop files synchronization, email support, unlimited workspaces for 5 people and more.

2. Trello

Business owners looking to spice up project management can use Trello. This particular software uses Kanban, a system that you can use to create visual representations of your projects by representing them as cards. How the cards are placed determines which stage a project is in development. Trello allows unlimited users and allows around 10MB of storage in its free version.

3. Google Drive for Android

Any file created on Google Drive can be processed throughout Google. In fact, this is what makes it such a good productivity app for Android users looking for tools that allow them to collaborate on projects seamlessly. All data that is shared through the app is stored in the cloud which keeps file secure. Other tools like privacy features enable users to control who they allow to view, edit or share files with. As well, other perks include, enabling users to share videos and images across Android phones.

4. IFTTT

IFTTT (If This, Then That) is a productivity tool that enables users to connect all of your apps on a single platform. Basically, this tool lets you connect the devices and apps you love with “if this, then that” condition statements or recipes. It is a pretty handy tool if you utilize a lot of different apps to run your business. For example, if you connect Pocket and Evernote for Business to IFTTT, the tool will allow you to share images between both. And the best part is that it is free to use.

5. Todoist

Todoist is one of the best task management apps out there since its cloud based features allow users to plan, access and collaborate on tasks – wherever they may be. With a freemium account, four levels of task priorities, an SSL secured connection and more it offers extensions and apps for more than ten platforms.

6. Asana

With up to 400,000 users, Asana is a power player in free productivity software. A freemium account on Asana can help you manage a team of fifteen people and some of your business processes for free. The free version also allows you to process an unlimited number of tasks and basic dashboards.

7. Dropbox

With an intuitive interface and incredible file sync abilities, Dropbox is one of our favorite free productivity tools on the web. With this tool, you can save your files on your PC and access them anywhere on a variety of platforms.

8. Freedcamp

This project management tool doesn’t offer a free account since it’s totally free for an unlimited number of users and projects. It also offers around 200MB of storage space. If you have extra cash, get some more space. At the same time, the free perks offered are likely enough to manage a small team. Like Trello, Freedcamp also works on a Kanban board setup. Even bigger brands like Google and Airbnb use it, so, it’s sure to be worth your while.

To Conclude

The best things in life come free and free project management software is one of them. The tools in this list should make it easy for you to manage tasks and smaller teams.

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If you want to ensure that your employees are doing their best and thrive in the work environment, motivation is the best way to go. It’s a powerful technique as it makes people want to achieve the company’s objectives, and be first in everything they do. Motivation, however, decreases or even dies in a matter of days for various reasons, let’s look at some of these now. Then, we have a video for you that shows how easy it is to make motivation skyrocket in the workplace.

1. Keep The ‘Toxic’ People Away

Everyone has met a ‘toxic’ person at least once. They are very destructive and exhausting to talk to, let alone collaborate and build a business with. Because of their ability to suffocate the positive energy and spread negativity and pessimism around, avoid having such people in your company to keep the motivation at the right level.

2. Always Communicate

Inadequate communication within the company can be very destructive in terms of motivation because the employees can spend the entire day wondering about what they are doing there. Lack of communication leads to a number of negative outcomes, such as insufficient sharing of data and information, missed deadlines, incorrect interpretation of tasks, and duplication of non-critical positions.

3. Always Appreciate

If someone should be praised for outstanding work, do it. Non-financial motivation has been proved to work a long time ago, so take advantage as well. Appreciating the employees will show them your commitment to their success, and it makes everyone feel good. Just a simple “thank you” is a great start. Keep the positive energy flowing.

4. Be a Good Leader

If the team has a good leader, every member feels appreciated and motivated. On the other hand, bad leadership can affect employee’s initiatives and the quality of work. It is best to develop your leadership skills to a level that everyone can appreciate.

5. Provide Opportunities for Professional Development

Professional development has been identified as one of the most effective non-financial motivation strategies, which allows employees to become better at what they do. Again, it shows that the company cares about the staff by providing them career growth and opportunities. Moreover, the investment in the success of others will eventually pay off by better organizational performance. It’s a win-win situation.

6. Be a Visionary

If the team of employees sees no direction and focus, they will think that the company wastes their time because the work leads them nowhere. To keep the motivation high, show the employees that you see the big picture and are going in the right direction.

Conclusion

The guidelines above are explained to avoid motivation killers and maintain motivation at an optimum level. This is essential in modern business. Check your workplace for these killers and make sure to eliminate them as soon as you can. At first it may seem like a lot; however, the outcome will always be positive because motivation benefits everyone in the company and contributes to better performance.

For more on workplace motivation check-out this video. After watching this video, you will have learned about employee autonomy, the need for a challenge, mastery, and purpose. It’s not all about money!

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For most projects, fire safety matters! Therefore, risk management should include being fully aware of how to create and maintain a fire-safe environment along with managing other risks associated to your project.

For project managers involved in projects where fire safety plays a crucial role in the planning stages, they should encourage improvements and creative thinking. This article highlights some suggestions and ideas for making sure that any of your upcoming project is as efficient as possible in regards to fire safety.

Assess, Assess and Then Assess Some More

First and foremost, you need to carry out a thorough assessment of the building or property. Some business owners will be able to do so by following the correct guidelines online, and being able to establish the minimum requirements that are necessary.

Those who’re unable to carry out a risk assessment on their own will want to seek the help of a fire safety consultant. They’ll guide you through each step of the risk assessment process, showing you how to apply each aspect of fire safety to your specific situation.

You can also call in health and safety experts for a broader, more generalized assessment, which will be extremely beneficial when the time comes to evaluate your project’s overall health and safety compliance.

Once yourself or your fire consultant has concluded the fire risk assessment, you’ll have a better idea of any safety precautions that need to be added and any potential hazards that should be removed. When and only when the risk assessment has been carried out and concluded are you ready to begin the improvements.

Embrace New Technology

With such a wealth of modern technology at your disposal, it would be foolish not to embrace it in any aspect of your work where you’re likely to benefit. This is where you and your team can keep ideas flowing and come up with some efficient and innovative ways of keeping your project safe.

With that being said, business owners are not obligated to use the latest technology. And for some, it may seem like an unnecessary expenditure. But the benefit of using the most advanced tech to maintain safety goes above and beyond a price tag.
When it comes to fire prevention, the benefits of modern technology can provide a sense of security and peace of mind for business owners. Installing fire suppression equipment for detection, and alarms that automatically contact the emergency services are more important now than ever, as many companies these days will have equipment running overnight. In this case, preaction sprinkler systems will go into effect when they detect smoke or an irregular level of heat.

Although fire prevention technology does improve overall fire safety, the use of fire safety equipment provides its own benefits. An example being for companies that have expensive equipment or irreplaceable data on-site, the use of modern tech will extinguish a fire in a quicker and more efficient manner.

Improve Your Safety Knowledge

As a project manager, or being part of a project management team, it’s a huge benefit to get some insight and knowledge from other professionals. And being that the subject matter is safety, some extra knowledge is paramount.

A fire consultant is an invaluable resource in this situation: they can advise you on fire safety aspects that relate to your current project. And can also provide knowledge to apply to future projects.

Safety First!

In any situation where you find yourself working with an idea that includes aspects of fire safety, the key is to try and learn as much as possible about the topic at hand and to make improvements wherever necessary. A building or site full of employees can never be “too safe”, so there’s always room for improvement.

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Each project caters to a defined and discerning audience. Therefore, project managers, just like any great musician, must know who they will cater to and communicate with, taking this into consideration when planning a project.

What do you think the reaction of an audience would be if they went to a concert expecting a classical music performance but were instead regaled by the sounds of a popular heavy metal rock band? Or, how do you think an audience would respond if they went for a hip-hop performance and a ballet ensued? Or, how do you think someone would feel if they found out that they had just missed a performance by their most favorite artist? Everyone above would feel confused, disappointed, and let down.

Consider the projects you manage as a performance. You have to orchestrate a number of performers, there’re various phases or acts as your project progresses, and you ultimately want the audience to stand up and cheer at the end of the performance. In your case, the end of the project. That’s why it’s so critical that you have the right audience engaged and involved from the start of a project to the very end. For the success of any project, it’s critical to have the right people.

Here are 9 ways to identify the correct audience before you start planning a project

1. Get a Head Start on Putting your Project Audience List Together

Once you know that you are going to be a project manager, immediately start thinking about who is going to be included. Think about the purpose of your project, its benefits, some of the challenges that may surface, and other nuances of your project. This will help you put together a solid short list of who to involve in the planning of a project. If you are struggling with putting together a list or only ending up with the obvious attendees (i.e. the client or the project sponsor) then dig deeper by asking these people who else to involve.

2. Consider All Phases of Your Project

When you begin planning a project it’s easy to identify those people to involve at the beginning and possibly into the middle of the project. But, keep in mind that as the project continues down its particular path of completion different people will need to be involved at different times. Think through all of who these people will be from beginning to end. For example, who you do you want to involve at the very end of the project when it comes to closing the project or making sure all the legal requirements are met? These people need to be identified so they can be part of the planning process of a project.

3. Dig Down Until You Identify the Right Audience

When you’re planning a project you need to be mindful to dig down until you find exactly the right group, or even person, that you need to involve in the project planning process. For example, you may know that you need to include the marketing department, but exactly which part? The marketing department is responsible for trade shows, print advertising, the website, social media, and many other aspects that make up your company’s marketing efforts. When planning a project, identify the right audience, otherwise, confusion and disappointment may occur.

4. Compile a List of Each Audience Member’s Name and Position

It’s now time to identify each person in the audience by name and position description. A great place to do this is to assemble a spreadsheet that includes the person’s name, department, title, email address, phone number, and even functional manager (you’ll see why this is important in the next step). Putting a list together like this helps you identify your audience and any obvious gaps that need filling.

5. Include Functional Managers as Part of the Audience List

You may wonder why this is necessary when it comes to planning a project since the functional managers are not the ones that will be doing the actual work. It’s important to include them on the list of audience members (even if it’s just another column next to the resources name) for a couple of reasons. First, you want to establish a very good working relationship with them: as typically they’re directly responsible for accessing and scheduling of the resources in their department. Second, if you find that you aren’t getting the cooperation you need from their resources you can solicit the assistance of their functional manager.

6. Include Resource Names for Each Role your Audience Plays

When planning a project and identifying the resources that will help put the plan together, it’s important to include them with each role they play. Let’s say a technical resource has recently moved to the sales department to help out with pre-sales activity. You need to include their input from both their new position and their former position. Include their name twice on the audience list you are compiling.

7. Keep your List Up-to-Date

Resources will come and go throughout the life-cycle of a project. This is especially true if it goes on for months or years. Make sure your audience list stays current with these changes and continues to stay involved in the aspects of planning a project that are relevant for them. What was important from one person’s perspective may mean nothing to the new person that has taken over the position. You need to make sure your audience understands the current performance or you could receive icy stares and dissatisfaction at the end of the project.

8. Speak to as Many People as Possible

Go WAY beyond your comfort zone when it comes to planning a project and involving the right people. Move beyond just your organizational unit. Expand into other disciplines within your company. Open the door to additional groups of people that you typically do not involve in your projects. The more you involve people in the planning process the less likely you’ll miss including someone you should have.

9. Not Sure Whether to Include Someone?

If there is someone that you’re unsure whether or not to include in your project audience, include them. It’s better to err on the side of inclusion than to fall on the side of exclusion. If someone feels they don’t need to be included when you’re planning a project, they will let you know. If someone feels they SHOULD have been included in the planning of a project, they’ll also let you know. Not only will they let you know, but they’ll also let others around them know. That could be your manager, and even upper executives. They may be not happy that they were not able to provide their input on a project.

In Short

Once you have identified all the right people to include when planning a project, begin your discovery sessions with them. These sessions are the following: interviews, workshops, webinars, and other methods of extracting their needs, concerns, risks, and issues. This will pay off dividends as you near the end of your project. Your audience will align 100% with your performance and who knows…you might even end up with a standing ovation!

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Overview Presentation

People all over the world rely on Evernote to be productive. Unfortunately, Evernote falls short in its task and event management. TaskClone is a brilliant solution. A simple addon, Taskclone is a bridge between Evernote and more than 40 to-do and calendar applications.

Features, Benefits, and Strengths

• Tasks – TaskClone uses your to-do lists email function to copy over tasks. Simply add a checkbox in front of the action item in your note. Then finish the note and add a trigger tag (customizable in the TaskClone settings). The next time Evernote syncs, these items appear on your to-do list. Back in Evernote, you’ll see a skip code added to those items to prevent duplication. It is simple to authorize and set up, completely customizable and almost foolproof.
• Events – After you authorize TaskClone in your Google and Evernote accounts, it’s easy to turn notes into calendar events. First, put a check box before your note and add “sch”. Next, write your event using Google’s natural language system and add the trigger tag. About five minutes after Evernote syncs, the event appears on your calendar. Again, the setup is quick and painless. Once activated, TaskClone is invisible.

Pricing

TaskClone offers a 14-day free trial. This trial includes unlimited to-do’s, unlimited events or reminders to calendars, and the ability to send tasks to 10 different apps. After 14 days, this package (the business package) costs $2.08 a month ($24.95 a year). The two other options are Premium and Plus. The Premium is the most popular. Premium offers unlimited to-do’s, events, and reminders, and integration with five task applications. The premium costs $1.66 a month, billed $19.95 annually. The Plus is $1.25 a month billed at $14.95 a month and you get unlimited tasks and one application.

Social Media Presence

• Twitter
• Google+
• Facebook
• Youtube
• Linkedin

Target Market

Because of Evernote’s weakness around task management, TaskClone is necessary for anyone who builds projects in Evernote. With TaskClone in place, you have a handy tool to turn those plans into action.

Some of Their Clients

IBM, Salesforce, Harvard, AirFrance, and Roche use TaskClone.

Testimonials

Current users gush about the simplicity and power of TaskClone. Preventing action items from getting lost in Evernote is pivotal. TaskClone does this seamlessly:

• Kimberly Eddy, after installing TaskClone, “Life just got simpler.”
• Libby Webb remarked, “Evernote task management just got easier…”

Also, users praised TaskClone’s customer support:

• Adrian Raddenbury tweeted how impressed he was when TaskClone support proactively addressed his issues.

Why TaskClone?

Is Evernote the heart of your productivity system? Then you know the importance of getting those notes into the applications you use to execute your plan. TaskClone makes it easy to organize the steps you need to take so that you can complete your project with ease. No more bouncing back and forth between applications, nothing gets duplicated and nothing gets forgotten.

Company Information

Founded by Troy Christmas, TaskClone is a small, independent team based in Silicon Valley, CA. Christmas created the application in response to his frustration with action steps getting lost in Evernote.

Click to view slideshow.

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As a successful project manager, you’re most likely a multi-tasker who is generally pretty good at juggling many balls, or tasks, at once.  Before starting any project, you’d agree that you need to have a firm grasp of the task at hand, knowing what the end user needs from you.

However important that first step is, that’s only the beginning.  You have to then conceptualize the steps, create a plan, foreseeing the need for a Plan B, C or D – just in case.  Next you’re on to specifying a project duration, and then, upon commencing, keeping all the resources, including team members, finances, etc., moving along in a nice and tidy fashion all while maintaining an overall sense of professional decorum.  No sweat, right?!

Enter project management planning and the tools and concepts that will help you be up to the challenge.  Taking the right steps in the most efficient order assists your team in delivering the best possible outcome in the estimated amount of time.  At the outset of the project, you must determine which tasks are stand alone and can be worked on separately, and which assignments depend on another step having already been accomplished and so forth.

You know that the individual aspects of any project are somehow interconnected.  Figuring out the “how” that works best for your specific project will help you and your team start, stay and productively stop on the same page.  These task relationships are called dependencies.

Project Scope Analysis

The connections between tasks and the priority of the task associations determine the project’s scope and time frame.  When initially needing to conceptualize the “big picture” of what needs to be accomplished, working through the following steps will help you see that picture clearly:

1. solidify the project scope with the client and additionally with your team and management
2. determine the best, most logical order of tasks
3. evaluate the critical path (decide on a specific tool set in an effort to govern the project)
4. identify what resources are available to you
5. incorporate any scheduling issues into the plan
6. supervise the overall plan throughout, and finally,
7. search for ways to compress the schedule and save money along the way if possible.

Need more information? We have it for you. Read more about project scope or watch a tutorial about how to estimate the duration of a project, aka, a critical path.

4 Task Dependency Types

Even new project managers have likely already encountered the concept of dependencies.  For instance, if you have ever wanted to enroll in a college course there may have been a prerequisite course. Meaning one class needs to be completed before taking another for which it is a prerequisite. To be clear, a prerequisite refers to something that must happen before something else can occur; hence, in this scenario, creating a dependent relationship from one class to the prior class.

Back to project management, mapping out all of the assignments, seeing how tasks start/stop/overlap and understanding dependencies is crucial to staying within your project’s parameters.  Let’s look at 4 types of task dependencies to consider as you conceptualize and execute any plan for a new project.

1. Finish-to-Start – This approach is the one with which most people are familiar. Step 1 of the project must be totally completed before Step 2 can begin: making Step 2 dependent on the completion of Step 1. Keeping an eye on each team member’s progress in this type of dependency is critical for keeping the entire project on target.
2. Start-to-Start – In this dependency, there will be a Step 1 that must already be under way, however, it does not have to be completed in order for Step 2 to begin. They may occur simultaneously, as long as Step 1 started first.  A benefit of this dependency type is that work overlaps, moving the project along more quickly.
3. Finish-to-Finish –You may have a situation in which one step can’t stop before another step does. While there may not be any specific time frame for the endings, with simultaneous tasks in motion, the completion of these tasks must take place at the same time.
4. Start-to-Finish –This approach dictates that Step 2 can’t finish until Step 1 starts. The Start-to-Finish approach is the most complex and would be used infrequently.

Here’s a chart that will help you to visualize these dependencies.

Also, you can check out this video that walks you through and helps you understand each type of dependency on the list.  The presenter uses several different scenarios as examples while showing not only how to understand each dependency, but also how to include lags that may occur along the way.

In the big picture, a lag is an interruption in the progression of a project. Smaller picture, it’s a delay in the completion of a task which affect other tasks. These disturbances can add time to either or both of the task’s start or finish date – effecting activity of either its predecessor or successor.

Task dependencies can occur both in the same project between tasks as well as between tasks from different projects.  In either case, predecessor/successor dependencies are created. For example, it may be that your project is considered “Step 2”, so you’ll be waiting on the team to complete Step 1. Your dependencies may also be related to the available company resources and/or the priority your leadership places on your project.

Project Management Planning Tools

Earlier, I mentioned that there were tools that can help you plan your project. Keep in mind that there’re numerous software possibilities that may assist with project planning, however, they’re not all are created equally.

Many will provide a customizable, easy-to-use interface, timeline view, reports and social media capability with email integration, mobile connectivity and more.  However, not every alternative out there includes a dependency function.

While not an exhaustive list, here are a few that allow for dependencies in addition to other organizational and time management aspects.

• 5PM (software review) has a sub-tasks component that walks you through how to set up your parent and dependent tasks. Their website states, “The Timeline visualizes the task dependencies using connecting arrows. Moving the parent tasks will move all the dependent tasks as well, so re-scheduling is a breeze.”
• Wrike (software review) has a Timeline (Gantt-Chart) feature “that lets you view your project schedule and set dependencies in real time with easy adjustments to keep your team on track.”
• LiquidPlanner (software review) has a Dependencies and Wait Time function available with its Small Team, Professional and Enterprise options. The software uses what they call, “Priority-based scheduling”, saying that it “generally eliminates the need to create dependencies between tasks that are owned by the same person.  That’s because in the absence of any delays or dependencies, the earliest start date of a task you own automatically equals the earliest finish of your previous task in the priority order.

If you guessed that this means the LiquidPlanner software only allows for finish-to-start dependencies, you’d be right!  If this is your preferred project management process, then the features like a dependency icon, alerts, status updates and a Wait Time function will especially help you keep your team on task for your project.

Additional Resources and Wrap-Up

As you continue learning about the types of dependencies and how they affect your project management, check out these articles that will help you to select the right management software for you!  Microsoft Project Online Software Review | Top 3 Software Alternatives to Microsoft Project Online

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Intervals is a powerful web-based time tracking and task management software from Pelago. Created for web designers and developers, they offer a flexible option for small business in 100 countries. In response to customer requests, they’ve integrated Google Drive, Slack, and Xero. Updates also added a spanning calendar view, streamlined document uploads, and a service uptime page.

1.Drag and Drop Document Uploads

Intervals streamlined the uploading process for project, milestone, and task documentation. Now, users can upload more than one document simply by selecting and dragging. First select the document tab of any project, milestone or task. From here, just click the upload button to launch the option.

2.Google Drive integration

Intervals added the ability to attach Google Drive documents to any project, milestone or task. Once you select the upload button, Google Drive appears in the menu.  After you authorize your account, attach any document in your drive to any part of the project.

3. Slack integration

Intervals now works with Slack.  First, log into your account. Then under Tasks, pick the Request Queue. The “Manage Slack Settings” link is in the left column.

4.  Xero integration

Intervals  now speaks Xero. No more copying invoices twice. From the export icon, chose Xero. Now you have a Xero friendly CSV file.

5. New Task Calendar View

Intervals added a spanning view to the calendar. By checking off the “Tasks” box on the right-hand column,  you get an easy to read visual representation of tasks, who owns them and their start and end date. If you need to reschedule a task, simply drag it to another day.  All of this without any impact on the task filtering capabilities.

6. Uptime Status Page

Intervals created a new page to track the platforms reliability.  This page shows six months of uptime statistics. It is refreshed every 30 minutes.

In short

Intervals is listening to their customers. To improve the platform’s flexibility, they enabled integration with several applications.  All five pricing plans come with SSL 256-bit Encryption, unlimited clients, contacts, invoices, tasks, and milestones. The cost depends on how much storage you need, from 5GB to unlimited. Take advantage of a free trial and find the plan that works for you. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, or Youtube. 

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LiquidPlanner, a PM program for technology and manufacturing teams, has released a solution for small teams. In short, it is a more efficient way to collaborate. For the most part, to-do lists and spreadsheets are inefficient for fast moving projects. LiquidPlanner has a solution for this: 5 members or less now have access to LiquidPlanner’s unique Dynamic Project Management methodology for fast and furious collaboration – in the non-violent sense.

1. Priority Driven Scheduling

Once team members input their availability, tasks are assigned with a simple drag and drop system. After this,  LiquidPlanner’s award-winning predictive scheduling engine builds a schedule with estimated completion dates. When tasks are completed or priorities are adjusted, the timeline is automatically updated.

2. Advanced Collaboration

Because this is a one stop solution, the project timeline is visible down to individual tasks.  Anyone on the team can make comments, follow tasks and access the conversation stream. With all team members sharing information, no one is left out of the loop. With 5GB of document storage, all relevant information stays with the project till conclusion.

3. Time Tracking

LiquidPlanner  understands that effective time tracking is essential to building strong trust between key stakeholders and clients. To this end, they have provided an easy to use, integrated project scheduling system. Automatic scheduling adjustments allow for accurate time reporting and lead to better team accountability and clearer communication with customers.

4. Task Management

The ultimate goal of LiquidPlanner  is for projects to be well-organized and efficient.  Most small teams use a cumbersome system of applications and whiteboards. With 250 active tasks per workspace, team members have current, accurate info about progress and how each piece fits into the whole. When team members edit and comment on shared documents, adjust the priority of tasks, or run reports, the entire team is informed.

In Short

For $49.99 a month ($9.99 annually), LiquidPlanner is a powerful, task driven scheduling tool customized for small teams. Because this tool is easy to use and completely self-contained, the size of the team is no longer a competitive edge. LiquidPlanner is offering a free, no obligation trial their website. You can follow them on Linked-in, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

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