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Creating Relationships Between Schedule Entries

This topic explains how to create relationships between schedule entries. You can do this by entering the predecessor information for each entry. If the relationships were planned on the work order task, they will be copied to the schedule entry when the task is scheduled.

Relationship Types

Four relationship types are available:

Relationship Type	Description	Example
Finish-to-start (FS)	The successor task cannot start until the predecessor is finished. This is the default relationship type for tasks on a work order.
Start-to-start (SS)	The successor task cannot start until the predecessor starts.
Finish-to-finish (FF)	The successor task finishes at the same time as the predecessor.
Start-to-finish (SF)	The successor task finishes at the same time as the predecessor starts.

Lags and Overlaps

For each task relationship, you can enter a lag time. You can use lags to offset the start or completion date of two linked tasks. For example, if two tasks have a finish-to-start relationship with a four-hour lag, task B will start four hours after the completion time of task A.

You can also use lag time to overlap two tasks by entering a negative lag time. For example, to set task B to start four hours before task A is completed, link the tasks with a finish-to-start relationship, and enter a lag of “-4” hours.

To Create Schedule Entry Relationships

1.	Open the schedule.

2.	Make sure that editing is enabled.

3.	Select the Worksheet view, Entries tab. By default, this tab displays a list of all scheduled tasks by work order and task.

4.	Double-click the entry from which you want to create a relationship (that is, the successor entry). The Schedule Entry dialog appears.

5.	Select the General tab, and then the Dependencies tab. The existing relationships are listed.

6.	Click New. The Scheduling Dependency Details dialog appears.

7.	On the General tab, enter the relationship details:

Setting Name

Description

Work order and task

The work order and its task that owns the predecessor task. Select the task that is the predecessor to this task. For example, if you are creating a relationship from task 3 (successor) to task 2 (predecessor), select task 2 in the list. You can select any task that: • is open • is owned by the selected work order You cannot select a task that is already dependent on the current task, or that would create a relationship that would result in a circular dependency. For example, if task 2 is dependent on task 1, and task 3 dependent on task 2, you cannot make task 1 dependent on task 3. You can select from any open work order at the same site.

Type

Select the type of predecessor relationship: • Finish-to-start (FS): The successor task cannot start until the predecessor is finished • Start-to-start (SS): The successor task cannot start until the predecessor starts • Finish-to-finish (FF): The successor task finishes at the same time as the predecessor • Start-to-finish (SF): The successor task finishes at the same time as the predecessor starts

Lag

Enter any required lag time for the relationship. You can use lags to offset the start or completion time of two linked tasks. For example, if two tasks have a finish-to-start relationship with a four-hour lag, task B will start four hours after the completion time of task A. To overlap tasks, enter a negative lag time. Using the same example, entering “-2” hours sets task two to start 2 hours before the completion time of task one.

8.	Click OK. The relationship is added to the schedule entry, and the system updates the schedule.

9.	To add another relationship, repeat steps 6 to 8.

10.	When you are finished editing the entry, click OK.