Why Use Dependency Sticky Notes?
During PI Planning, teams often identify that they rely on another team to deliver a component, like an interface, subsystem, or service, to complete their own work.
These are cross-team dependencies, and if not communicated clearly and immediately, they can lead to delays, rework, and misalignment.
The Dependency Sticky Note in piplanning.io is designed to solve this. It allows teams to communicate their needs in real time, with full clarity on what is needed, when, and why. By linking the dependency to the related Feature and assigning it to the delivering team, expectations are made visible and actionable without the usual coordination overhead.
This frictionless, high-fidelity flow drives alignment, faster decision-making, and a more mature approach to managing cross-team work.
Sharing and Collaborating on Dependency Sticky Notes
Follow these steps to create, share and visualize a dependency sticky note on the boards as need.
Create a Dependency Sticky Note on your Team Board in the Iteration when you expect the delivery.
Optional: Link the Dependency to the related Feature. The link potentially ensures clear visual context for the Team you share the Dependency with.
Share the Dependency to the delivering Team. Use the "Depend" button on the sticky note action bar or the "Depend On" chip directly on the sticky note to share the dependency to the team you're relying on.
Have the needed conversation with the delivering team on how and when they plan to get the dependency solved.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that the work of the delivering team is linked to the Dependency as well as to the Feature (This will be used to track the work on the Feature and Dependency)
Once agreed on a plan, Mirror the Dependency Sticky Note on the ART Planning Board
Optional: If you haven't already linked the Dependency Sticky Note with the Feature in Step 2, now link the Dependency to the related Feature directly on the ART Planning Board.
Remove the Red Flag to indicate that both Teams agreed on the Dependency.
