In this article:
1. Initiatives in Businessmap
2. Creating Dependencies Between Initiatives
2.1. How to Create a New Linked Initiative?
2.2. How to Link Existing Initiatives?
1. Initiatives in Businessmap
Every board you create in Businessmap has two default sections: the Initiatives Workflow (1) and the Cards Workflow (2).
The Initiatives Workflow is the home of automated portfolio lanes, designed for Senior team members and Project managers to easily track the progress of bigger tasks or projects. Work items in this workflow are called Initiatives and they move through the workflow completely automatically when their child cards are moved anywhere in your account.
2. Creating Dependencies Between Initiatives
Similarly to the breakdown process between initiatives and cards, you can create dependencies between the Initiatives themselves.
The system allows you to:
- create new initiatives and link them right away to the original initiative
- link existing Initiatives
2.1. How to Create a New Linked Initiative?
Option 1
To create a new initiative, press CTRL and drag-and-drop an initiative into the same or different Initiatives swimlane/workflow. Set up the type of relationship between the two initiatives.
It could be:
- parent/child
- relative
- predecessor/successor
In addition, the panel allows you to move the initiative to the desired position or clone it.
Option 2
This option is practically useful when you create dependencies between Initiatives on different boards and establish a hierarchical structure at the organizational level.
Select the initiative's context menu and click on the “New linked card” button. Select the link type you want to establish between the source initiative and the new initiative. Once you make your choice, use the Board minimap to select where the new linked initiative should be created.
Note: From the context menu's “Link to existing” button, you can link the source initiative to other existing initiatives across your account. You need to know the initiative's title or ID to find it in the search box.
Option 3
Open the source initiative and select the Links tab.
Use the "Create new link" option to open the links panel and set up the relationship type you want to establish. Use the Board minimap to define the location of the new initiative.
For example, if you want to create a new Initiative and link it as a child to the source Initiative, you have to select the Initiatives workflow. Respectively, the new item will be created there.
2.2. How to Link Existing Initiatives?
To link two existing Initiatives, press CTRL and drag-and-drop the initiative you want to link on top of another initiative.
Hold the CTRL button to get the menu with the type of connections you can establish. Select the link type to break down your Initiative (parent/child), make them relatives, or set a rule of order between them (successor/predecessor).