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
Based on this scenario, implementing a resource leveling approach might be challenging for MTD the water installation company and the Glasgow event. Resource leveling aims to smooth out resource usage over time, avoiding overallocation and underallocation.
I think in this case, the event’s short duration and fixed timeline make it difficult to level resources effectively. The resources required for each task might be specific and cannot be easily substituted or even reallocated.
I also think that if MTD were to manage multiple events simultaneously or even plan a longer-term project, resource leveling could be beneficial in optimizing resource utilization and reducing conflicts.
Genevieve Osondu
Cohort 17 Team 5
Looking at the MTD and the Glasgow event, I think resource smoothing is most appropriate because the date of the event is fixed and cannot be tampered with . So, resource levelling is not an option in this case .
Considering the MTD and the Glasgow event, I don’t think resource levelling will be appropriate because the date of the event is fixed and cannot be moved. So I do not think resource levelling would help in that situation.
The possibility of applying resources leveling approach on the MTD water project is almost zero, because the date of the event have been fixed and status of achievement by MTD with respect to the deadline was not good enough. The only way out was application of the resources smooth approach, by adding more sources to get the work done on or before the deadline.
Moving the events deadline is near impossible as the project does not have any float time, so resource smoothing would be the best option for the MTD team to utilize in this project. This allows them to utilize all needed resources so as to meet the project deadline.
Resource levelling would not be the best choice to use since the project deadline cannot be moved, hence resource smoothing will be a better choice to meet the deadline although it will incur more cost.
Aishat Aiteseme Abdulrazaaq
Cohort 17
Team 1
A Comprehensive View on Resource Overload
Applying a resource levelling approach to resolve a resource shortfall issue noticed prior to the start of an event may not provide the best and suitable solution especially in a situation constrained by limited time.
A better option in tackling the issue would be the application of resource smoothing. This method allows the project manager to speedup execution to meet up with the required project completion time by either adding new resources (through request for immediate delivery of items to site by one of MTD’s suppliers in the case of equipment deficit) or demanding for overtime to increase the availability of the resources for client’s use as originally planned.
Emmanuel Olusegun Omotere
Team 4
Cohort 17
For a case like MTD’s event in Glasgow, resource levelling could be applied. Resource levelling would involve the rescheduling of activities, but only in a way which does not exceed the current capacity of resources. Since the tasks involved in the event are typically too rigid to be moved around in terms of deadlines, resource levelling will be more useful here than it might otherwise be in workload management, without moving the final deadline. It may involve having to make some compromises over the scope or quality of some activities to guarantee the key event goals are delivered on time.
Applying a resource leveling approach to the project involving MTD, the water installation events, and the Glasgow event is possible and beneficial. Resource leveling aims to smooth resource utilization, reduce resource allocation peaks and valleys, and ensure consistent resource usage throughout the project. In the project, resource leveling can help manage the varying demands of water installation events and the Glasgow event, balance resource allocation between events and tasks, minimize resource conflicts and overallocations and optimize resource utilization, reducing waste and improving efficiency.
Using a resource smoothing approach is more feasible for MTD the water installation events company, even though additional cost may be incurred but the project gets to meet its scheduled deadline.
While for Glasgow,a resource leveling approach can be used to get the job done.