Deltek Open Plan Help

Using the Help Search

Relationships Tab

Use the Relationships tab to view and/or specify the relationships between the activities.

Each relationship with a predecessor or successor activity is listed on the grid. Controlling relationships (that is relationships that determine the early dates of an activity) display an asterisk on the selection button to the left of the grid.

Attention: For more information about activities, see Activities Overview.

Contents

Field	Description
ID, Desc., Status, Duration	These fields are common to all Activity Details dialog box tabs. Attention: See Common Fields for a description of these fields.
	Use the Edit buttons to confirm or cancel an attribute change in the grid.
Drop-down list	Use this field to select a field you want to add to, change, or delete in the grid. The options change depending on which column has the focus. Click the ellipsis to display the Select Activity dialog box where you can select the activities you want to associate with the attribute. This is only available when your focus is in the Predecessor or Successor columns.
Goto...	You can use this button to display the information for a selected predecessor or successor. To use this feature, select the ID of a predecessor or successor activity and click Goto. Open Plan changes the focus to the specified activity. You can also use it to display an activity that is hidden from a view by a filter. Attention: For steps, see Display a Filtered Activity in a View.

Grid

Field	Description
Predecessor	This column displays the ID of the predecessor activity (an activity that logically precedes the displayed activity). Select an empty cell and click to display the Select Activity dialog box where you can select a predecessor activity. Hover your mouse cursor over this field to display the description and status of the activity as a tool tip.
Type	Use this field to specify the type of relationship between activities. FS: Finish to Start, the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity is complete. This is the default relationship type. FF: Finish to Finish, the successor activity cannot finish until the predecessor activity is complete. SS: Start to Start, the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity has started. SF: Start to Finish, the successor activity cannot finish until the predecessor activity has started. This type of relationship is rarely used. To change the relationship type of an activity, place your cursor in the Type column, click the Drop-down list and select a type. Hover your mouse cursor over this field to display the description of the abbreviated relationship as a tool tip.
Successor	This column displays the ID of the successor activity (an activity that logically follows the displayed activity). Select an empty cell and click to display the Select Activity dialog box where you can select a successor activity. Hover your mouse cursor over this field to display the description and status of the activity as a tool tip.
Description	This column displays the activity description for the predecessor or successor activity.
Lag	This column displays the lag defined between activities. A lag is a time delay associated with the relationship. Lags can be either positive (to indicate a delay between two events) or negative (to indicate an overlap or lead time between two events). For example, if an activity cannot start until two days after the completion of its predecessor, define a finish-to-start (FS) relationship between the two activities and enter a lag of 2 days. The lag specifies the number of periods that must elapse between events such as the finish of one activity and the start of the next activity. For start-to-start relationships, it is also possible to define a lag as a percentage of the predecessor activity's duration. To enter a percentage-driven lag, enter a value followed by a percent sign (%). For example, to define a lag equal to one half of the predecessor's duration, enter 50%. To shorten the overall duration of a project, identify activities that can overlap and define their relationships with lag or lead times.
Calendar	When calculating lag, Open Plan uses the calendar assigned to the relationship. If there is no calendar assigned to the relationship, Open Plan uses the calendar of the successor activity. Relationship calendars are commonly used to schedule lags that are duration-driven instead of activity-driven. For example, you want to schedule two activities in a sequence for applying concrete: Activity A - Pour the foundation Activity B - Remove the forms This is a FS relationship. The laborers removing the forms cannot start their work until the concrete cures. The lag that occurs while the concrete cures should be scheduled using a 7-day, 24-hour calendar instead of a calendar based on the laborers’ work week.
Probability	In the absence of progress on any successor activities, this column is used to indicate a relative probability that a particular path out of an activity will be taken. Probabilities for various options are mutually exclusive, such that the percent values for multiple options do not have to equal 100%. If successor activities have started, it is assumed that the path has already been taken and the probabilities are ignored. Attention: For more information about probability, see Using Risk Analysis.
TF	This column displays the total float between the selected predecessor or successor and the displayed activity. Total float is the maximum number of work periods by which an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion date or violating the target finish date.
FF	This column displays the free float between the selected predecessor or successor and the displayed activity. Free float is the maximum number of work periods by which an activity can be delayed beyond its early dates without delaying any successor activity beyond its early dates.
New	Click to display the Add Relationships dialog box where you can create new predecessor or successor relationships.
Delete	Click to delete the selected predecessor or successor activity. This button is only available when you select a row.
, Close, Undo, Apply, New, Progress, Help	These fields are common to all Activity Details dialog box tabs. Attention: See Common Buttons for a description of these buttons.
Resizing	A grabber pad in the bottom right corner of a dialog box indicates that the dialog box is resizable. Click and drag the sides of the dialog box to resize.

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Related Procedures

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Relationships Tab

Use the Relationships tab to view and/or specify the relationships between the activities.

Each relationship with a predecessor or successor activity is listed on the grid. Controlling relationships (that is relationships that determine the early dates of an activity) display an asterisk on the selection button to the left of the grid.

Attention: For more information about activities, see Activities Overview.

Contents

Field	Description
ID, Desc., Status, Duration	These fields are common to all Activity Details dialog box tabs. Attention: See Common Fields for a description of these fields.
	Use the Edit buttons to confirm or cancel an attribute change in the grid.
Drop-down list	Use this field to select a field you want to add to, change, or delete in the grid. The options change depending on which column has the focus. Click the ellipsis to display the Select Activity dialog box where you can select the activities you want to associate with the attribute. This is only available when your focus is in the Predecessor or Successor columns.
Goto...	You can use this button to display the information for a selected predecessor or successor. To use this feature, select the ID of a predecessor or successor activity and click Goto. Open Plan changes the focus to the specified activity. You can also use it to display an activity that is hidden from a view by a filter. Attention: For steps, see Display a Filtered Activity in a View.

Grid

Field	Description
Predecessor	This column displays the ID of the predecessor activity (an activity that logically precedes the displayed activity). Select an empty cell and click to display the Select Activity dialog box where you can select a predecessor activity. Hover your mouse cursor over this field to display the description and status of the activity as a tool tip.
Type	Use this field to specify the type of relationship between activities. FS: Finish to Start, the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity is complete. This is the default relationship type. FF: Finish to Finish, the successor activity cannot finish until the predecessor activity is complete. SS: Start to Start, the successor activity cannot start until the predecessor activity has started. SF: Start to Finish, the successor activity cannot finish until the predecessor activity has started. This type of relationship is rarely used. To change the relationship type of an activity, place your cursor in the Type column, click the Drop-down list and select a type. Hover your mouse cursor over this field to display the description of the abbreviated relationship as a tool tip.
Successor	This column displays the ID of the successor activity (an activity that logically follows the displayed activity). Select an empty cell and click to display the Select Activity dialog box where you can select a successor activity. Hover your mouse cursor over this field to display the description and status of the activity as a tool tip.
Description	This column displays the activity description for the predecessor or successor activity.
Lag	This column displays the lag defined between activities. A lag is a time delay associated with the relationship. Lags can be either positive (to indicate a delay between two events) or negative (to indicate an overlap or lead time between two events). For example, if an activity cannot start until two days after the completion of its predecessor, define a finish-to-start (FS) relationship between the two activities and enter a lag of 2 days. The lag specifies the number of periods that must elapse between events such as the finish of one activity and the start of the next activity. For start-to-start relationships, it is also possible to define a lag as a percentage of the predecessor activity's duration. To enter a percentage-driven lag, enter a value followed by a percent sign (%). For example, to define a lag equal to one half of the predecessor's duration, enter 50%. To shorten the overall duration of a project, identify activities that can overlap and define their relationships with lag or lead times.
Calendar	When calculating lag, Open Plan uses the calendar assigned to the relationship. If there is no calendar assigned to the relationship, Open Plan uses the calendar of the successor activity. Relationship calendars are commonly used to schedule lags that are duration-driven instead of activity-driven. For example, you want to schedule two activities in a sequence for applying concrete: Activity A - Pour the foundation Activity B - Remove the forms This is a FS relationship. The laborers removing the forms cannot start their work until the concrete cures. The lag that occurs while the concrete cures should be scheduled using a 7-day, 24-hour calendar instead of a calendar based on the laborers’ work week.
Probability	In the absence of progress on any successor activities, this column is used to indicate a relative probability that a particular path out of an activity will be taken. Probabilities for various options are mutually exclusive, such that the percent values for multiple options do not have to equal 100%. If successor activities have started, it is assumed that the path has already been taken and the probabilities are ignored. Attention: For more information about probability, see Using Risk Analysis.
TF	This column displays the total float between the selected predecessor or successor and the displayed activity. Total float is the maximum number of work periods by which an activity can be delayed without delaying the project completion date or violating the target finish date.
FF	This column displays the free float between the selected predecessor or successor and the displayed activity. Free float is the maximum number of work periods by which an activity can be delayed beyond its early dates without delaying any successor activity beyond its early dates.
New	Click to display the Add Relationships dialog box where you can create new predecessor or successor relationships.
Delete	Click to delete the selected predecessor or successor activity. This button is only available when you select a row.
, Close, Undo, Apply, New, Progress, Help	These fields are common to all Activity Details dialog box tabs. Attention: See Common Buttons for a description of these buttons.
Resizing	A grabber pad in the bottom right corner of a dialog box indicates that the dialog box is resizable. Click and drag the sides of the dialog box to resize.

Related Topics

Related Procedures