Task dependencies

Task dependencies are the relationships that dictate the order in which project tasks must run. If task B cannot begin until task A is done, B depends on A. Formalizing those links is what separates a to-do list from a schedule: change one date and every downstream task can be recalculated automatically instead of by hand.

The four dependency types

• Finish-to-start (FS): B starts after A finishes — the most common. Rack the switch, then cable it.
• Start-to-start (SS): B can't start until A starts — data migration begins once the cutover window opens.
• Finish-to-finish (FF): B can't finish until A finishes — testing wraps only when the last config is done.
• Start-to-finish (SF): the rare one — B can't finish until A starts, used mostly for handoffs between shifts.

Why it matters for MSPs

Migration and onboarding projects are chains of hard prerequisites: you can't join workstations to a domain that doesn't exist yet, or cut over email before mailboxes are provisioned. Wired dependencies mean a single slipped task ripples through the plan automatically, so a delay surfaces on the timeline the moment it happens rather than at go-live. It's also worth knowing your PSA's limits: as of 2026, per vendor documentation, Autotask's native task dependencies are finish-to-start only, and mature critical-path scheduling on PSA-native modules often relies on an add-on.

How it works in Current

Current treats dependencies as a first-class object. An interactive dependency map lets you draw and see relationships as a graph, the scheduling engine recasts downstream dates when a predecessor moves, and client-side cycle detection stops you from creating a loop where two tasks each wait on the other. The same dependency data drives the Gantt timeline and what-if scenarios, so a change you make in one place is honored everywhere.