HKSM
Finish-to-Finish (FF)
A dependency where the successor activity is not allowed to complete until the predecessor activity has completed.
Key Points
- Links the finish of the successor to the finish of the predecessor.
- The successor may start at any time; only its completion is constrained.
- Finishes do not have to occur at the exact same moment; lags can be applied.
- Useful for wrap-up or closure tasks that must extend until another activity is done.
Example
Editing (successor) can begin while authors are still writing chapters (predecessor), but editing cannot be marked complete until all writing is finished. An FF with a 1-day lag may be used to allow final edits after the last chapter is completed.
PMP Example Question
A project manager states: "User acceptance testing can start early, but it cannot be closed out until development is complete." What type of dependency best describes this?
- Finish-to-Finish (FF)
- Finish-to-Start (FS)
- Start-to-Start (SS)
- Start-to-Finish (SF)
Correct Answer: A — Finish-to-Finish dependency
Explanation: In an FF relationship, the successor cannot finish until the predecessor finishes. Testing closeout depends on development finishing, which matches FF.
