A Successor Activity is a dependent activity that logically comes after another activity in a schedule.
It is linked to a predecessor activity through a logical relationship that dictates the order in which tasks are performed. The timing and sequencing of the successor are determined by the relationship type—such as finish-to-start or start-to-start—which governs how and when the successor may begin or end relative to its predecessor.
Key Characteristics
- Dependent Sequence – Follows another activity in the schedule
- Controlled by Logical Relationships – May start or finish based on the predecessor’s progress
- Part of the Schedule Network – Integral to critical path and float calculations
- Supports Structured Planning – Helps define realistic, constraint-based task flows
Example Scenarios
- Testing (successor) cannot begin until development (predecessor) is complete
- Data import (successor) starts as soon as the system setup (predecessor) begins
- Deployment (successor) finishes only after final approval (predecessor) starts
Example Successor Activity
gantt title Successor Activity Example dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD axisFormat %b %d section Project Schedule Predecessor Activity :a1, 2025-04-15, 3d Successor Activity :a2, after a1, 4d
Role in Project Scheduling
- Enables Dependency Modeling – Clarifies execution order and coordination
- Supports Critical Path Analysis – Helps identify time-sensitive chains of activities
- Drives Task Timing – Successor start and finish dates depend on predecessor status
- Feeds Performance Tracking – Helps analyze schedule variance and forecast delays
See also: Predecessor Activity, Summary Activity, Logical Relationship, Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Start.