Setting Lag and Lead Time Between Tasks
Setting lag or lead time starts with
creating or editing a dependency between two tasks.
Sometimes, the next task's start date isn't immediately after the previous task has finished. For example, the final 2 tasks in a print project are to send the design to print and to deliver the final version to the client. If printing typically takes 3 business days, then we will add that 3 days as lag time to ensure we give ample time to meet the delivery date.
To create a delay (lag), with a dependency set, in the edit/create dependency window, click the small double arrow icon (⟷) direct to the right of the predecessor task's name. Enter the number of days of lag time, then press the Return/Enter key (or click out of the box).
It’s also possible to have negative ‘lag’, known as ‘lead' time. As an example of lead time, the food for the open house must be ordered 5 days prior to the open house. A 5-day lead time will ensure that, even if the date of the open house moves, the task to order food always comes 5 days before. To enter lead time, you will add a negative number of days in the link window as described above.
When you add lead time to a task, work on that task overlaps work on its predecessor. When you add lag time, you delay the start date of the successor task.
When using dependencies with lead or lag time, flipping to the Gantt chart view can give you a visual representation of the dependency relationships between tasks. Hovering your mouse over a successor task will highlight the dependency line in pink. In general, regular dependencies or lag dependencies will always show the predecessor beneath the successor. Whereas, lead dependencies will display the successor above the predecessor. The spacing between the predecessor and successor tasks will represent the amount of lead or lag time.
