How do resource smoothing and resource leveling differ from each other?
Resource smoothing aims to maintain original project deadlines while increasing project costs. On the other hand, resource leveling does not alter the existing resource capacity but instead emphasizes rescheduling, which may have an impact on project deadlines.
The accompanying diagram, sourced from the APM Body of Knowledge, provides a comparison between the two approaches.
Resource levelling and smoothing options (APM, 2019, p. 179)
© Association for Project Management (APM) (2019) APM Body of Knowledge (7th edn), Princes Risborough: APM.
At a more significant level of impact, certain projects undergo more than just rescheduling or resource allocation adjustments. They may undergo a reevaluation of their project scope by the project sponsor. This involves a broader analysis of the entire project and requires reconsideration of how time, cost, and quality interact within the project.
A prime example is the review of large-scale infrastructure projects like railways. Such projects often undergo rescaling due to increased costs, resulting in significant deviations from the original plans. The consequences of these revisions can affect the client and a wider range of stakeholders and may even result in the loss of subsequent work opportunities (Kerzner, 2009, p. 529).
Now, let’s consider MTD, the water installation events company, and the Glasgow event that you have been following in the course videos thus far. When examining the provided figure, do you think it would be feasible to implement a resource leveling approach in this scenario?
Share your thoughts and join the discussion below.
© The Open University
Following the lesson so far, I think resource smoothing is preferable more than resource leveling. Although project cost might/will increase in resource smoothing but a better results will be gotten out of a project instead of rescheduling projects that can have a possible impact on project deadlines and project results too
In my opinion I believe resource leveling approach is not the best option but resource smoothing approach in the case of MTD because time management is key in project management.
For MTD and GLASSGOW companies, I would not advise the resource levelling approach, rather I would advise that resource smoothing (adding new resources to the project) approach should be used without minding the extra costs.
Cohort 15 team 10.
No, resource levelling is not a good option.
Osuji Mirian
May 14,2024 at 11:49 p.m
For me, I will go for project smoothing, because it will foster fast completion of the project.
I dont thing resource leveling can be applied in MTD project
I think it would be feasible to implement the resource levelling approach, especially if the two companies are not willing to change the current capacity and are willing to extend the deadline so that the current capacity would work to deliver what they have been tasked to deliver.
But with rescheduling that comes with the resource levelling approach is something the two companies should be aware of as this might have an impact on the project cost eventually.
Resource smoothing and resource leveling are both project management techniques used to manage resource allocation and avoid resource overloading. However, they differ in their approach and objectives:
Resource Smoothing:
Resource smoothing aims to adjust the resource allocation within the existing project schedule to eliminate peaks and troughs in resource utilization while keeping the project duration constant.
The focus is on minimizing fluctuations in resource usage over time, particularly for resources with limited availability or capacity.
This technique involves shifting non-critical activities within their float or slack time to balance resource demand, ensuring that resource usage remains within predefined limits.
The primary goal is to optimize resource utilization without extending the project’s duration.
Resource Leveling:
Resource leveling involves adjusting the project schedule to allocate resources in a way that ensures a consistent workload over time while maintaining project constraints such as dependencies and deadlines.
The objective is to eliminate resource overloading by rescheduling activities within their slack or float time to avoid conflicts in resource availability.
Resource leveling considers both resource constraints and project constraints to create a feasible and balanced schedule.
Unlike resource smoothing, resource leveling may extend the project duration if necessary to resolve resource conflicts and maintain a sustainable workload.
Time management and quality are crucial in project management, I would not advise using the resource levelling approach as d major issue of the project is a scarcity of resources.
Umeanolue Lilian
For the MTD and Glasgow event, I recommend the smoothing approach as the best option as this would enable both projects to finish at the stipulated time set out for it.