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.
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Considering MTD, the water installation events company and the Glasgow event, I believe that resource levelling could be feasible and can provide notable benefits, but the success may depend on how flexible the project timeline is. But, I believe that success could be achieved with proper planning.
For MTD Glass gow events,Resource levelling will be effective to retain current capacity ,deadline and there might be a slight increase in cost.
There is actually more that the MTD project can do with the issue of resource overload. This can be settled with resource smoothing. It can be through the addition of new resource such as new members or material or addition of overtime for the staff but adequate remuneration can be provided for team members involved in this overtime as a means of cushioning the effect on them. The cost of this smoothing should also be put into serious consideration.
I think resource smoothing will be more effective when it comes to MTD and the glasglow event because of the fixed deadlines that should be met
In this case, resource levelling is the best approach, the project costs may be slightly increased but the deadline will be preserved.
For MTD’s Glasgow event, a resource leveling approach could help manage constraints by balancing resource demands, preventing overload, and avoiding extra costs. By redistributing tasks, MTD can maintain quality and reduce the need for additional staff or overtime.
However, if the client has strict deadlines or little flexibility, resource leveling alone may not be enough, and a broader scope revision might be required.
I think resource smoothing will be a more appropriate approach because MTD is a water installation events company which means they provide temporary water sources during events and the dates of these events are not determined by them so it is almost impossible for them to extend the project end date which makes resource leveling not a viable option for them.
Applying resource leveling to MTD’s temporary water installations at a major event like Glasgow could be effective, but it would depend on the flexibility of both the event schedule and resource availability. Resource leveling, which balances resources to avoid overloading and inefficiency, could potentially smooth out peaks and ensure steady availability of equipment and staff.
The deadlines for a high-profile event are strict, so the challenge would be to align resource adjustments without impacting the event timeline. Resource leveling might help MTD avoid last-minute rushes and resource bottlenecks, leading to smoother operations and cost savings.
However, because these projects often involve unexpected variables (weather, site conditions), a contingency buffer might be necessary to handle sudden demands that leveling alone cannot address. The key would be to use resource leveling strategically, without sacrificing the quality or timeliness critical for a successful event setup
Resource levelling option is not applicable in the case of MTD and the Glasgow event because event dates are fixed. Rather, resource smoothing option is the best in this case so as to meet deadlines.
In this scenario, Resource Levelling will not be feasible, because it will delay Project deadline. So, Resource Smoothing will be feasible to use, because it focuses on preserving planned deadline.