Making Project schedule using precedence Diagram Method (PDM) includes four types of dependencies or logical relationships. Many PMP® aspirants find Finish to start (FS) relationship easy to understand and practice with but other three confuses them a bit. This presentation describes all four at detail. • Finish-to-start (FS) • Finish-to-finish (FF) • Start-to-start (SS) • Start-to-finish (SF)

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PMP is a registered trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
Precedence Diagramming Method
(PDM)
Four Types of
Logical Relationships – PMP®
Prep Topic
Saket Bansal

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Dependencies
Type of logical relationship
between two activities
defines how the depended
activity is constrained by
independent activity

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Dependent Watching Independent
Independent
Activity start or
finish does not
get impacted
because of the
relation
Dependent
Activity Start or
Finish is
influenced by the
relation
Activity A Activity B

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Predecessor and Successor
A predecessor activity is an activity that logically comes
before a dependent activity in a schedule. A successor
activity is a dependent activity that logically comes after
another activity on a schedule
Independent /
Predecessor
Dependent /
Successor
Activity A Activity B

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Four Types of logical Relationships
• Finish-to-start (FS)
• Finish-to-finish (FF)
• Start-to-start (SS)
• Start-to-finish (SF)

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Two Digits / Four Types
State of Independent
(Activity A) Activity on
which activity B is
dependent on
Constraint on
Dependent
activity (Activity B)
applied on
Finish (F)
Start (S)
Finish (F)
Start (S)

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Four types of logical relationships
S
F/S
Someone
watching my
finish
F
F/S
S
I can not finish
until my
predecessor
condition is met
I can not start
until my
predecessor
condition is met
Someone
watching my
start
F
FS
SS
FF
SF

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Finish to Start (FS)

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Finish to start (FS)
“A logical relationship in which a successor activity
cannot start until a predecessor activity has
finished.”
Activity A Activity B
FS
Activity B is
watching my
finish date /
time I can not start
unit A
Finishes

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Finish to start (FS)
“A logical relationship in which a successor activity
cannot start until a predecessor activity has
finished.”
Activity A Activity B
FS
Activity B is
watching my
finish date /
time I can not start
until A
Finishes
F S

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Example: Finish to Start
Development Activity can not be started until design is
finished. The design activity is expected to take 4 days
and development will take 10 days
Design : 4
(Independent)
Development :10
(Dependent)
Early Finish 4Early Start 1
Early Start 5 Early Finish 14
FS
ES: Development
= Early Finish Design + 1
= 4+1

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Example: Finish to Start + Lag
Development Activity can not be started until one day
after design is finished. The design activity is expected to
take 4 days and development will take 10 days
Design : 4
(Independent)
Development:10
(Dependent)
Early Finish 4Early Start 1
Early Start 6 Early Finish 15
FS + 1
ES: Development
= Early Finish Design + 1 + Lag
= 4+1 + 1

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Example: Finish to Start - Lead
Development Activity can not be started until one day
before design is finishing. The design activity is expected
to take 4 days and development will take 10 days
Design : 4
(Independent)
Development: 10
(Dependent)
Finish 4Start 1
Start 4 Finish 13
FS - 1
ES: Development
= Early Finish Design + 1 - Lead
= 4+1 - 1

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Start-to-start (SS)

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Start-to-start (SS)
“A logical relationship in which a successor activity
cannot start until a predecessor activity has started.”
Activity A
Activity B
SS
Activity B is
watching my
Start date /
time
I can not start
until A Starts
S
S

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Example: Start-to-start (SS)
The activity of marketing brochure preparation can not start
until user documentation activity has started. The
marketing brochure preparation activity is expected to take
4 days and user manual preparation will take 10 days
User Docs:10
Brochure:
4
Early Start 1 Early Finish 10
Early
Start 1
Early
Finish 4
ES Brochure =
ES: User Doc +/- Lag/Lead

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Finish-to-finish (FF)

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Finish-to-finish (FF)
“A logical relationship in which a successor activity
cannot finish until a predecessor activity has
finished.”
Activity A
Activity B
FF
Activity B is
watching my
Finish date /
time
I can not
Finish until A
Finishes
F
F

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Example: Finish-to-finish (FF)
User Documentation activity can not finish
until development is finished. User
Documentation will take 10 days where
development will take 30 days.
Development: 30
User
Documentation
: 10
Early Start 1 Early Finish 30
Early
Finish 30
EF User Doc =
EF: Development +/- Lag/Lead
Early
Start 21

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Start-to-finish (SF)

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Start-to-finish (SF)
“A logical relationship in which a successor activity
cannot finish until a predecessor activity has
started.”
Activity A
Activity B
SF
Activity B is
watching my
Start date /
time
I can not
Finish until A
Starts
S
F

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Example Start-to-finish (SF)
Support activity from development team can
not finish until production support Activity is
started . Production support is expected to
start on day 15.
Production Support
Development
Support: 10
Early Start 15
Early
Finish 14
EF Development Support =
ES: Production Support -1 +/- Lag/Lead

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Four Types of Logical Relationships
• Finish-to-start (FS)
• Finish-to-finish (FF)
• Start-to-start (SS)
• Start-to-finish (SF)

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