Introducing a brand new feature – dependencies by Hub Planner. As you know, or may not know, dependencies are relationships between bookings in a project plan. So let us walk you through this new feature that will simplify the way you track dependencies on project tasks, save you time and help you organize your project flow in real time.

Intro to Dependencies

Sometimes when executing a project, you might experience a delay in one or more tasks, and this may have an impact on your scheduling, resulting in overbooked resources or overlapping with different events and therefore impacting the project time frame.

That is why at Hub Planner we have developed the new dependency feature that allows you to depict the dependencies between bookings. The scheduler will show which bookings must be completed before others can start. Dependencies will help you make decisions in real time by tracking how those project bookings are dependent on another.

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Why add Dependencies?

Dependencies can have a significant impact on resource management and project planning. By understanding the dependencies between bookings, project managers can:

  • Identify risks, such as bookings that are dependent on resources that are not yet available.
  • Optimize resource allocation, by ensuring that the right resources are available to complete the bookings on time.
  • Identify the critical path, which is the sequence of bookings that must be completed on time in order to complete the project on time.
  • Avoid bottlenecks, which are points in the project where there is not enough capacity to complete all of the bookings on time.

By carefully managing dependencies, project managers can improve the chances of their projects being completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards.

How do dependencies work in Hub Planner?

Best practice for dependencies by Hub Planner?

Once dependencies are activated, they are very easy to use, simple to set up.

  • Schedule Bookings

    Start by scheduling bookings in your project plan. Before adding dependencies, create a comprehensive project plan with all tasks and their dependencies in mind. This helps you see the big picture and avoids missing critical dependencies.

  • Set Realistic Durations:

    Ensure that task durations are realistic. Overestimating or underestimating task durations can affect your project schedule and the accuracy of dependency relationships.

  • Adding Dependencies:

    To create dependencies between bookings in Hub Planner, you simply need to hover a booking, click the dependency link and drag to the booking you want to link. Create as many dependencies as you need.

  • Types of Dependencies:

    Hub Planner supports “Finish-to-Start (FS)” dependency type meaning Task B cannot start until Task A finishes.

  • Updating and Monitoring:

    Continuously update task progress. This ensures that your project schedule reflects the most current information and helps you identify and manage delays promptly. Hub Planner will automatically adjust task dates based on dependencies, helping you keep your project on track. You can also easily remove/delete dependencies too when required.

  • Notifications and Alerts:

    Hub Planner offers notification alerts to inform the resource assigned to the booking when a dependent task has been updated or what’s due to start this week. For example, if there are delays that might affect their work, and the booking has been updated, a notification will be sent to the resource. Also, a booking summary is also triggered on a weekly basis to help users keep track of their schedule and timeline.

  • Viewing Dependencies:

    There are two ways in which you can view dependencies.

    In your project schedule, you should be able to see the dependencies between bookings graphically represented. This helps you understand how changes in one task’s schedule might impact others.

    You can also view the dependencies of each booking by double clicking into the booking modal.

Read more about dependencies by Hub Planner?

Knowledge base: everything you need to know about dependencies, you will find in the knowledge base.

Free trial: Hub Planner is offering a 14 day trial of dependencies for every new and existing customer. Trial it out, see what you think.

Free demo: Would like a demo of how Dependencies work – schedule a call with us, we will be more than happy to show you.