Technical Dependencies | Cross-Team Coordination
Track technical dependencies across tasks, teams, and systems. GitScrum visualizes blockers, critical paths, and coordinates handoffs to prevent delays.
6 min read
Dependencies between tasks, teams, and systems create coordination challenges that can derail projects when not managed proactively. GitScrum's dependency tracking and cross-project visibility help teams identify blockers before they become critical and coordinate handoffs between teams. The key is making dependencies visible and planning around them.
Dependency Types
| Type | Example | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential | API before UI | Medium |
| Library/Package | npm package update | Variable |
| Infrastructure | Database, cloud services | High |
| Cross-team | Other team's deliverable | High |
| External | Vendor, third-party API | Very High |
| Knowledge | Expertise or documentation | Medium |
Dependency Management Framework
DEPENDENCY TRACKING WORKFLOW
1. IDENTIFY (During Planning)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ For each task, ask: │
│ │
│ "What must exist before I can start?" │
│ ├── Code/APIs from other work │
│ ├── Infrastructure or environments │
│ ├── Decisions or approvals │
│ └── Knowledge or documentation │
│ │
│ "What is waiting on my work?" │
│ ├── Downstream tasks │
│ ├── Other teams' work │
│ └── Customer deliverables │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
2. DOCUMENT (In Task)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Task: Implement payment processing │
│ │
│ Dependencies (Blocked by): │
│ ├── [TASK-234] Payment gateway API contract │
│ │ Status: In Progress │
│ │ Expected: End of Sprint 4 │
│ │ │
│ └── [INFRA-56] Payment sandbox environment │
│ Status: Requested │
│ Expected: 3 days │
│ │
│ Dependents (Blocking): │
│ ├── [TASK-345] Checkout flow integration │
│ └── [TASK-346] Order confirmation emails │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
3. MONITOR (Throughout Sprint)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Daily check: │
│ ├── Are my blockers resolved? │
│ ├── Am I on track for my dependents? │
│ └── Any new risks to flag? │
│ │
│ Update dependency status when changed │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
4. ESCALATE (When Blocked)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Day 1: Blocked → Notify dependency owner │
│ Day 2: Still blocked → Daily standup mention │
│ Day 3: Still blocked → Escalate to lead │
│ Day 5: Still blocked → Management escalation │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Dependency Visualization
DEPENDENCY MAP EXAMPLE
Sprint 6 Dependencies:
┌─────────────┐
│ TASK-234 │
│ API Contract│
└──────┬──────┘
│ blocks
▼
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ TASK-235 │ │ INFRA-56 │
│ API Impl │ │ Sandbox Env │
└──────┬──────┘ └──────┬──────┘
│ blocks │ blocks
│ ┌──────────────┘
▼ ▼
┌─────────────┐
│ TASK-236 │
│ Payment │
│ Processing │
└──────┬──────┘
│ blocks
├────────────────┐
▼ ▼
┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐
│ TASK-345 │ │ TASK-346 │
│ Checkout │ │ Order Email │
└─────────────┘ └─────────────┘
CRITICAL PATH: TASK-234 → TASK-235 → TASK-236 → TASK-345
Any delay in critical path delays the feature.
Dependency Board View
DEPENDENCY TRACKING BOARD
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DEPENDENCY STATUS OVERVIEW │
├─────────────┬──────────────────┬────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ On Track │ At Risk │ Blocked │ Resolved │
├─────────────┼──────────────────┼────────────────┼───────────────────┤
│ [DEP-1] │ [DEP-4] │ [DEP-7] │ [DEP-10] ✓ │
│ API Design │ Vendor Response │ DB Migration │ Auth Service │
│ Due: Fri │ Due: Yesterday! │ Blocked 2 days │ Completed Tue │
│ │ │ │ │
│ [DEP-2] │ [DEP-5] │ │ [DEP-11] ✓ │
│ SDK Update │ Design Review │ │ Config Setup │
│ Due: Mon │ Waiting input │ │ Completed Mon │
│ │ │ │ │
│ [DEP-3] │ [DEP-6] │ │ │
│ Test Data │ Infra Provision │ │ │
│ Due: Next │ 1 day behind │ │ │
└─────────────┴──────────────────┴────────────────┴───────────────────┘
LABELS:
├── [dep:internal] - Within team
├── [dep:cross-team] - Other team
├── [dep:external] - Vendor/third-party
├── [dep:infra] - Infrastructure
└── [dep:decision] - Awaiting decision
Mitigation Strategies
DEPENDENCY RISK MITIGATION
STRATEGY 1: MOCK AND PARALLELIZE
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ When: Waiting for API from another team │
│ │
│ Approach: │
│ 1. Get API contract/spec first │
│ 2. Create mock implementation │
│ 3. Develop against mock in parallel │
│ 4. Swap mock for real when available │
│ │
│ Risk: Mock may not match real behavior │
│ Mitigation: Integration testing when ready │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
STRATEGY 2: BUFFER TIME
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ When: External dependency with uncertain date │
│ │
│ Approach: │
│ 1. Estimate realistic date │
│ 2. Add 30-50% buffer │
│ 3. Plan other work for buffer period │
│ 4. Pull forward if dependency arrives early │
│ │
│ Example: │
│ Vendor says "2 weeks" → Plan for 3 weeks │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
STRATEGY 3: ALTERNATIVE PATH
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ When: High-risk dependency │
│ │
│ Approach: │
│ 1. Identify fallback option │
│ 2. Keep fallback ready to implement │
│ 3. Set decision deadline │
│ 4. Switch to fallback if needed │
│ │
│ Example: │
│ If vendor API delayed → Use alternative vendor │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Dependency Metrics
DEPENDENCY HEALTH DASHBOARD
CURRENT STATE:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Active dependencies: 18 │
│ ├── On track: 12 (67%) ✓ │
│ ├── At risk: 4 (22%) ⚠ │
│ └── Blocked: 2 (11%) 🔴 │
│ │
│ Average resolution time: 3.2 days │
│ Longest current block: 5 days │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
TRENDS:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Sprint Dependencies Blocked Avg Time │
│ ───────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Sprint 4 12 1 2.1 days │
│ Sprint 5 15 2 2.8 days │
│ Sprint 6 18 2 3.2 days │
│ │
│ Trend: Increasing dependencies (growing scope) │
│ Action: Review architecture for coupling │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Best Practices
Anti-Patterns
✗ Implicit dependencies ("they know we need it")
✗ Discovering dependencies mid-sprint
✗ No escalation path for blockers
✗ Waiting silently when blocked
✗ No tracking of external dependencies
✗ Planning work before dependencies confirmed