Sequence Activities

Sequence Activities. The step where we go full-on puzzle master and figure out the order of all those tasks you lovingly defined in the last step

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Transcript

Hey there, project people! You’re tuned in to PMP in a Snap, where we take project management from textbook-dry to talk-show-fly—one process at a time. I’m your host, Kaye B., and today, we’re diving into one of the most satisfying parts of project planning: Sequence Activities.

Yep, it's the step where we go full-on puzzle master and figure out the order of all those tasks you lovingly defined in the last step. But before we start putting activities in their proper place, let’s zoom out and do a quick refresher on where we are in the Project Schedule Management process group.

Project Schedule Management (or Time Management, if you’re feeling retro) is all about making sure things get done on time—which, let’s be honest, is easier said than done. The PMBOK breaks it down into six processes:

1. Plan Schedule Management – We build the game plan.
   
   
   
2. Define Activities – We list all the work that needs to be done.
   
   
   
3. Sequence Activities – We figure out what needs to happen first, next, and last.
   
   
   
4. Estimate Activity Durations – We guess (smartly) how long things will take.
   
   
   
5. Develop Schedule – We turn the puzzle into a timeline.
   
   
   
6. Control Schedule – We keep the schedule from going off the rails.
   
   
   

So today, we're zeroing in on Sequence Activities, which is the process of taking our lovely list of tasks and organizing them like a well-crafted playlist—no skipped beats, no awkward transitions.

What Is Sequence Activities?

Alright, picture this: You're assembling IKEA furniture. You wouldn’t put on the cabinet doors before assembling the frame, right? Sequence Activities is the project management version of that logic.

In this process, you determine the logical relationships between tasks. You’ll ask questions like: What needs to happen before something else can start? Or, what can be done at the same time? What’s dependent on what? This step lays the groundwork for a real-deal project schedule.

To make sure you're sequencing with strategy, not just vibes, you’ll need these key inputs:

• Schedule Management Plan – It tells you how dependencies should be handled.
  
  
  
• Activity List – Your list of all the things that need to get done.
  
  
  
• Activity Attributes – Info about each task, like who’s doing it, duration, or constraints.
  
  
  
• Milestone List – Your project's key events and deadlines.
  
  
  
• Project Scope Statement – Provides the context for how detailed your sequencing needs to be.
  
  
  
• Enterprise Environmental Factors – Think tools, systems, or even your organization’s culture.
  
  
  
• Organizational Process Assets – Past project files, standard practices, and templates that might help.
  
  
  

Once you’ve got your materials, it’s time to build the sequence, here are the tools and techniques.

Precedence Diagramming Method – The bread and butter of this process. It’s a visual representation of the order of activities. It includes four types of logical relationships:

• Finish-to-Start – The classic: Task A must finish before Task B starts.
  
  
  
• Start-to-Start – Tasks start together 
  
  
  
• Finish-to-Finish – Tasks must finish at the same time.
  
  
  
• Start-to-Finish (SF) – Rare, but Task A must start before Task B finishes.
  
  
  
• The next tools and technique is Dependency Determination and Integration – This is where you figure out if dependencies are:
  
  
  
  • Mandatory – Can't be changed (like legal or physical constraints).
    
    
    
  • Discretionary – Preferred sequences, often based on best practices.
    
    
    
  • External – Outside the project team's control.
    
    
    
  • Or if it’s Internal – Within the team’s control.
    
    
    
• The other tool is Leads and Lags – Fancy talk for adjusting timing:
  
  
  
  • Lead = Starting a task early.
    
    
    
  • Lag = Adding a delay between tasks.
    
    
    
• And finally Project Management Information System – Software that helps you track and visualize dependencies. Think scheduling tools like MS Project or Asana.
  
  
  

After all this sequencing magic, you’re rewarded with the following outputs:

• Project Schedule Network Diagrams – A flowchart-style visual of activity relationships. This is your project’s roadmap.
  
  
  
• Updates to Project Documents – Specifically:
  
  
  
  • Activity list
    
    
    
  • Activity attributes
    
    
    
  • Assumption log
    
    
    
  • Milestone list
    
    
    

These outputs set the stage for the next processes like estimating durations and developing the actual project schedule.

Why Sequence Activities Matters

Let’s be real—projects don’t fail because the tasks weren’t on the list. They fail because the order was all wrong. If you don’t get the dependencies right, you'll run into delays, resource clashes, and missed milestones. Sequencing activities gives your project rhythm, structure, and—dare I say—swagger.

Here is the recap:

• Sequence Activities helps you figure out the order of all the tasks you identified during Define Activities.
  
  
  
• Inputs include your activity list, milestone list, and scope statement.
  
  
  
• Use tools like Precedence Diagrams, Dependency Analysis, and your Project management information systems.
  
  
  
• Outputs include your network diagram and updates to your documents.
  
  
  
• Do it right, and your project flows like a Netflix binge—you never have to wonder what comes next.
  
  
  

 And just like that, you’ve sequenced your way through another PMBOK process with me, Kaye B., here on PMP in a Snap. If today’s episode helped untangle the logic spaghetti of task dependencies, do me a favor: hit subscribe, leave a review, or share this with your project crew.

Until next time—keep calm, sequence on, and never put the cabinet doors on first. Talk soon!