Dependency Analysis

Contents 1 Applications 2 Procedures 3 Instructions 4 Example

A technique used to analyze the dependencies between activities. Dependency analysis enables us to describe interdependence between activities, based on information, materials or other resources in specific states, and to describe the influence of time events on the execution of activities. A dependency exists whenever the outcome of an activity or the occurrence of an event influences the execution of another activity. An examination of the dependencies helps structure the process model.

Applications

To validate and describe the interdependence between activities.

To validate and describe the influence of time events on the execution of activities.

Procedures

1. Identify all steps in the process.

2. Determine the association and relationships between the steps.

3. Chart the dependencies in an activity dependency diagram to show predecessor and successor relationships between the steps.

Instructions

Together with decomposition diagramming, dependency analysis techniques can be used to produce a process model, the second component of the information architecture. (See Decomposition Diagramming and Process Modeling). Dependency Analysis examines the associations between activities where the execution of the first activity enables the execution of the dependent activity.

Example