A relationship needs a reason
Task B depends on task A when A supplies something B needs, not merely because A appears above B in a list. Name that required output. Some work can begin provisionally before the input is final; other work should wait. The distinction belongs in the task description and the team’s process, not only in a dependency icon.
Know the documented software behavior
Nifty documents that dependent tasks can be edited and started while their completion remains locked. It also describes due-date cascades through dependency chains. Do not interpret a completion lock as a rule that work cannot start, or a moved date as confirmation that every affected person accepted the new schedule.
Use a three-task example
A fictional chain is input check, internal review, summary update. If input check moves two days, inspect both downstream dates and the next review meeting. The meeting may be a separate calendar item with its own owner. A software cascade may update part of the record while the actual commitment still needs discussion. List those external commitments explicitly.
Avoid decorative chains
Linking every task to the previous one can create false blockers and unnecessary date movement. Keep only relationships that change an action or decision. Review the chain with the receiving role and ask what would break if a link were removed. For safety-critical or contractual schedules, use qualified project controls rather than treating this simple guide as a scheduling standard.
Check a branching chain
Suppose input A feeds reviews B and C, while only B feeds summary D. If C is delayed, D may still proceed unless there is another real dependency. A single visual chain A–B–C–D would misrepresent that relationship. Draw the branches first, name the required outputs and check them with the receivers. Only then consider representing the links in software. The diagram is a reasoning aid, not a guarantee that every dependency has been discovered.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- Nifty task, subtask and milestone dependencies — Merchant documentation · help.niftypm.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-10-01