Every dependency, and everything it affects

All four dependency types, with lead and lag

Link any task to any number of others as finish-to-start, start-to-start, finish-to-finish or start-to-finish, each with a lag in days, or a negative lag for lead time. Dependencies are on every plan, including Free.

The type is not decoration. The schedule, total float, the critical path and delay propagation all read it, so a start-to-start link behaves like one everywhere. A change that would create a loop is rejected with a message, because a circular chain has no valid schedule.

See what every task affects

The Impact Matrix walks the network from every task and counts everything downstream of it, not only its direct successors, then scores the cascade risk so you know which slips deserve attention. It is available from the Standard plan.

The Dependencies view shows who waits on whom: the links into and out of one area of the plan, the links inside it, and the external dependencies recorded in the register. It is available from the Standard plan.

Know what a delay will move before it moves

Total float is calculated for every task from the dependency network and recalculated whenever a date, a duration, a link or a delay changes. When a task slips, Depentra records which predecessor pushed each task it moved, so the chain from cause to effect can be read back in plain language.

The What-If Delay Simulator applies a delay to any task without touching the live plan and shows every task that moves, the float used and the new finish date. It is available from the Professional plan. To try the idea on your own plan first, the free delay simulator needs no account.

Dependencies between projects

Programs link tasks in different projects with the same four types. Each cross-project link is checked with the scheduling engine's rule for its type: it shows as at risk when the upstream task is carrying delay, and as not met, with the number of days, when it is late enough to affect the task waiting on it. Programs are available from the Standard plan.

People always see that their work waits on another project, and see what it waits on only if they can open that project. Nothing about a project is shown to someone it was not shared with.

Bring the plan you already have

Import tasks from Excel or CSV on every plan, including Free, or start from a template whose tasks already carry their dependencies. A plan with tasks but no links is a list with dates; linking it is what turns the analysis on.