Dependant projects are Related - Child projects are not all dependant

The project tool allows you to make an infinite number of tasks on each project, these should be simple to complete like updating a colour, changing a logo or writing a test for a project feature. When they become larger like creating a subscription tool with many tasks requiring additional details for completion, this should become a child project of the original project. It does not mean that it instantly becomes a prerequisite for that project.

The workflow you have to complete a large project, say an implementation of a PIM, Customer Data Platform or e-commerce plan, each of these will have many tasks, but most will be too large and complex to write a simple one-line explanation that can be ticked off like it was just a shopping list item. Ask someone to get all product attributes for a specific category, that will need to be its project and in this instance could be both a child project of the implementation and a pre-requisite.

Project Relationships

Child Project

A project that forms part of a larger parent project, may not be essential or block delivery but in some way, it is intended to enhance the parent project.

Dependant Project

A project that blocks the completion of the parent project.

Understanding these and making them visible to people involved in the projects is something that organisations need, and setting a top-level project with an objective leads to tasks being created to meet these, and if tasks are too large child projects are created, and giving the visibility on is this a blocking another can mean deadlines can be moved decisions made to unlock the actions that need to be taken to deliver what is needed.

Creating Visibility

Timelines and project diaries, are important as are Gannt charts, and creating these should be easy actually they should be automated, and this can only be done by defining the relationships between projects. Add items in should be easy too.

And this is what FinStarty tools aim to do, create a project and look at where it fits in the organisation instantly. Spot potential blockers quickly.