Task Dependency Analysis
Updated 2026-08-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
Task Dependency Analysis maps the relationships between tasks, distinguishing hard dependencies where one must finish before another starts, soft dependencies where one merely helps, and mutual exclusions where two cannot run at once. Its core proposition is that the dependency structure, not the individual task durations, determines the shortest achievable schedule and where the bottlenecks sit. The key qualifier is classification accuracy: treating a soft dependency as hard serializes work unnecessarily, while ignoring a real one creates rework.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Dependency typing: label each link as hard, soft, or mutually exclusive rather than simply assuming. - Graph drawing: lay the tasks out as a directed graph so you can see the structure. - Critical path: find the longest chain and protect it above everything else in the plan.
Anchor fast decisions
Total project duration is set by the longest chain of dependent work, so shortening tasks off that chain changes nothing. Mapping dependencies reveals which chain that is and where parallelism is available. Scheduling effort against the critical path concentrates resources where delay actually propagates.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dependency_graphverified
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