# Map dependencies and bottlenecks across my project and teams

Finds hidden and unresolved dependencies between tasks and teams, and the bottlenecks most likely to hold everything up.

- Topic: Projects & Operations
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Plan, Fill-in Template
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/map-dependencies-and-bottlenecks-across-my-project-and-teams

## Prompt

```text
Map the dependencies in my project and find where the work will get stuck.

**Project plan or task list:** [PASTE TASKS with owners and dates]
**Teams and vendors involved:** [LIST, with what each delivers]
**Shared resources:** [people, environments, equipment, or approvers used by several workstreams]
**Known handoffs:** [e.g. "data team delivers the feed, then IT builds the report"]

Look for:
- Dependencies that are listed in the plan.
- Missing dependencies: tasks that clearly need an input, approval, environment, data, or decision that no task delivers.
- Dependencies between teams that have no agreed date or owner on both sides.
- Bottlenecks: one person, approver, team, or resource that many tasks rely on at the same time.
- External dependencies (vendors, legal, procurement, other projects) with long or unknown lead times.

Return:
1. Dependency table: From (task or team) | To (task or team) | What is handed over | Needed by | Agreed? (yes / no / unknown) | Risk if late.
2. Missing dependencies you spotted, with the task to add.
3. Bottleneck list: the resource, which tasks compete for it, the peak period, and options (sequence, add capacity, reduce demand).
4. The 5 dependencies to confirm first, with a suggested message to the other team for each.

Don't assume another team has agreed to anything I haven't stated. Mark inferred dependencies [INFERRED].
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE TASKS with owners and dates
- LIST, with what each delivers
- e.g. "data team delivers the feed, then IT builds the report"
- INFERRED

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.