Dependencies and Inconsistencies

• TaskPack is the basic building block of the process.
• A process is made up of interconnected TaskPacks.

Dependencies of one TasPack

TaskPacks are interconnected by their results. It is a connection between a task that delivers the result of one TaskPack and a task that receives that result in another TaskPack. Each TaskPack has both of these tasks.

The software automatically monitors all these links, and we call them dependencies.

We can inspect dependencies anywhere TaskPack in software appears. For example, in the Processor & Tasker module:

When we click on More (1) in TaskPack, a menu opens, and we need to click on Inspect (2).

Links that this TaskPack has will be displayed.

The primary view of dependencies is within a sequence. The TaskPack we are inspecting is highlighted.

When we group TaskPacks in a sequence, the connections are automatically successively generated, and we don't have to do anything to connect them. There are cases where there are additional interconnections other than successive ones within a sequence. Then it is necessary to add them as described in the document: How-to... Tasks and Tasks in TaskPack.

In this particular example, only the links within the sequence are shown. The others have not been made yet.

But, TaskPacks can be linked out of sequence. They can be associated with another TaskPack within their own process or outside of a process that is from another group or type. This is how they build the overall process structure of the company. It is a complex network of connections.

In the example below, we will inspect a TaskPack with complex dependencies.

Note: In this example, the process structure elements (type, group, process, sequence, TaskPack) are named with simple codes, not words.

We can see the dependencies of TaskPack B2a3. He is the third and last in his sequence.

• Links in the sequence are marked in blue.
• The connections that this TaskPack makes between different processes are marked in orange. Both incoming and outgoing connections like this are noticeable.
• The connections this TaskPack makes with TaskPacks located in other groups are colored red, and those of different types are colored black.

This is just a presentation. In reality, such complex connections of a TaskPack do not appear. 

The purpose of dependencies inspection is to gain insight into whether relationships are too complicated and need to be simplified. Without this module, it is literally impossible to gain real insight into the connection of process elements.

Activities performed within one process should have as little interaction with other processes as possible. The interaction should be thought out in advance and well-designed.

These are critical points in the organization.

Dependencies module

The Dependencies module gives us an overview of how we connected the overall process structure of the company.

To open the module, we need to click on Dependencies (1) in the left menu.

A page with three columns will open. Dependencies tab (2) is opened by default in the first column, and we can choose which links in the process structure we want to view.

Dependencies between types

It starts with connections between types: Core and Support (3). They are shown on their cards.

This screenshot shows that each type on its card has two icons on the left side (1). The top icon indicates the number of input connections with the input, and the bottom one indicates the number of connections that deliver the result. In this example, Core processes have 3 input connections with the input and 2 output connections with the result.

When we click on one of these icons, the arrows indicating the direction of the outgoing and incoming connections are displayed. In this example, we clicked on the lower icon in the Support type card, which symbolizes 3 output connections (2).

When we click on the number 3 (3) on that arrow, an animation shows us the flow of outgoing and incoming connections. In this example, three TaskPacks appear in the middle column.

That way, we can analyze them better by opening them (by clicking on the pencil icon) or inspecting their connections by clicking on the dependencies icon (5).

Dependencies of the inspected TaskPack appear in the right column (6).

Dependencies between groups

In the last screenshot, we reviewed the dependencies between the process types: Core and Support. To view the dependencies within a type, we need to click on the type name (1).

The groups we have in that type will be displayed. Then, in the same way, we can examine the connections between groups within the same type in addition to examining connections between types.

Dependencies between processes

Then, in the same way as before, when we want to view the connections between processes, we click on the name of the group, and its processes and the connections between them will appear. Similarly, we can review those links and dependencies in individual TaskPacks.

A further level showing dependencies of sequences and TaskPacks is now displayed in a column on the right side.

Inconsistencies

Inconsistencies is a submodule that is of great use to us when inspecting the correctness of the overall process structure of the company.

To check for inconsistencies, we need to click on the Inconsistencies tab (1). In the first column, the choice for the type of process will appear (2), and we need to select which type we want to check for inconsistencies, either Core or Support.

Below are three types of inconsistencies (3). By checking the box in front of each type, we can choose which of them we want to display.

Input TaskPack Requested

This inconsistency list shows TaskPacks for which we required input because, at the time we created it, the TaskPack that supplies such input did not exist.

Result Without User

TaskPacks whose results are not used by any TaskPack are listed here.

TaskPack Without Result

We can choose to display TaskPacks in which we have not marked the task that delivers the result.

The TaskPacks corresponding to the selected inconsistency are listed in the middle column. They can be edited or inspected in the same way as previously explained.