Where are our project dependencies?

The business question Where are our project dependencies? provides a high-level view of how projects affect each other. The business question shows project and their dependencies to other projects due to issues of time, architecture, or resources. Additionally, you can discover which architecture elements are targeted by multiple projects in order to better manage projects.

This business question supports full transparency about project dependencies when prioritizing projects for funding and/or execution. Dependencies can be analyzed across multiple programs to foster communication before project's are approved.

The license package IT Transformation Server - Enterprise is required to work with this business question.

The Kanban-like matrix shows projects and how they impact other projects. Here's how to interpret the information:

  • The first lane shows the programs that are the parent of the projects displayed in the matrix rows. A matrix element may be available in the first lane labelled No Program Defined. The corresponding row shows projects that are not assigned to a parent program.
  • All other lanes represent the Status attribute defined for projects. Drag a project to a different lane to change the value of the Status attribute. Point to the header of a lane to view a tooltip explaining the value. The lanes represent the following values:.
    • New: The project has only mandatory data defined. A project with this status can be deleted.
    • In Design: The project is being scoped and defined. A project with this status cannot be deleted.
    • Under Assessment: The project is being evaluated for implementation. A project with this status cannot be deleted.
    • In Realization: The project is being worked on. A project with this status cannot be deleted.
    • Completed: The project has finished. A project with this status can be deleted.
    • Rejected: The project is no longer valid and can be deleted.
  • The projects in the matrix cells are colored based on the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) status value for each project. The RAG status is derived from the project monitoring indicators for Budget, Resource, and Time.
  • A black T is displayed on a project to indicate a dependency between projects due to a timing issue. This means a project must be completed first before the next project can begin. A black line starts with a project and points to the project that is dependent on the source of the dependency.
  • A dark blue A is displayed on a project to indicate a dependency between projects due to an architecture issue. This means an architecture element must first be provided by a project before the next project can begin. A dark blue line starts with a project and points to the project that is dependent on the source of the dependency.
  • A light blue R is displayed on a project to indicate a dependency between projects due to a resource issue. This means a project must first be completed so that the resource is freed up to begin the next project. A light blue line starts with a project and points to the project that is dependent on the source of the dependency.
  • Yellow lines indicate that the projects have common architecture elements. The number on the source project as well as the thickness of the line indicate how many affected architecture elements both projects have in common.

Projects must be in the repository and well-documented. The project dependencies and affected architecture elements should be documented for each project where they exist.

Go to the Data Quality page and resolve the issues to ensure that the data is complete.

Go to the Data Source page to review the projects that are used to answer the business question. The data source is a list report and cannot be edited.