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
Resource smoothing would be better but one needs to summon meeting among the stakeholders or team members where opinions and views could be shared so as to make the next step precise.
Implementing a resource leveling approach in the MTD water installation event at the Glasgow event would depend on several factors, including project constraints, available flexibility, and the critical path. Resource leveling aims to balance resource allocation while minimizing schedule disruptions. However, adjusting resource allocation might not be feasible without affecting delivery timelines in a high-stakes event with fixed deadlines. Resource leveling could help optimize workforce distribution and reduce bottlenecks if the project has some scheduling flexibility. A detailed analysis of dependencies and constraints is crucial to determine its viability.
Resource leveling is the process of adjusting the start and finish dates of tasks to ensure that the resource utilization is balanced and consistent with the available resources, while Resource smoothing is the process of adjusting the resource allocation to reduce fluctuations in resource utilization, ensuring that resources are utilized consistently and efficiently. Therefore since MTD Water project and Glasgow are already using Resource Smoothing because of the fixed date, Resource levelling cannot be implemented.
While Resource Smoothing appears to be a better option in order to keep to deadlines, it is important to have a round table discussion with all stakeholders regarding the cost implication of this, so that all parties are aligned.
Where the parties concerned are willing to bear costs, the projects proceeds smoothly. Where this is not the case, then, practically a degree of Resource Leveling maybe introduced after critical assessment has be done to determine what aspects of Resource Leveling can be applied.
Resource smoothing would be better but one needs to summon meeting in the team to be sure what steps to take next
My thoughts on the concepts of resource smoothing and resource leveling in project management.
. Resource Leveling:
– Resource leveling, on the other hand, involves rescheduling tasks within a project to **balance resource demand.
– The primary goal of resource leveling is to avoid resource overloads by shifting tasks or changing their timing.
– In resource leveling, the focus is on achieving an even distribution of resource usage over time.
– It may involve delaying non-critical tasks or rearranging dependencies to accommodate resource availability.
– Resource leveling can be more disruptive to the project schedule because it may require changing task sequences or extending project duration.
– It is suitable when project deadlines are flexible and when resource constraints can be managed through rescheduling.
Resource Smoothing:
Resource smoothing is a technique used to adjust resource usage within a project while keeping the project schedule unchanged.
– The primary goal of resource smoothing is to minimize fluctuations in resource utilization, especially when dealing with limited resources.
– In resource smoothing, the focus is on managing resource peaks and valleys to achieve a more consistent resource allocation.
– It allows for small adjustments to resource assignments without affecting project deadlines.
– Resource smoothing is particularly useful when there are external constraints (such as contractual obligations or fixed deadlines) that prevent rescheduling.
– However, it may result in additional costs due to overtime or other resource adjustments.
Application to MTD and Glasgow Cases:
– For the MTD case, where an error was identified a few days before the event, resource smoothing would be more appropriate. The focus should be on minimizing disruptions and ensuring that the event proceeds as planned. Implementing resource leveling at this point could hinder the project and damage the organization’s reputation.
– Similarly, for the Glasgow case, resource smoothing is advisable. The need for water for the first set of participants is urgent, and any significant rescheduling could impact the event’s success. Resource smoothing allows for minor adjustments without affecting the project timeline.
It is important to note that resource smoothing is preferable when external constraints or urgent situations arise, while resource leveling is more suitable when there is flexibility in project deadlines and resource adjustments can be made through rescheduling.
To determine if a resource leveling approach is possible for MTD’s and Glasgow events, several factors need to be considered:
Event Requirements: Analyse the specific requirements of each event. Some events might require more resources than others, making leveling difficult.
Cost and Time Constraints: Considering the budget and time constraints, it may limit the ability to level resources without increasing costs significantly or extending the project timeline.
Flexibility: Evaluate the degree of flexibility in the event schedule. When certain activities can be rescheduled without affecting the overall event outcome, resource leveling might be feasible.
Resource Availability: Assess the availability of resources. If resources are limited and cannot be adjusted, resource leveling might be a challenge.
Prioritization: Determine if certain events take precedence over others. It might be necessary to prioritize critical events and allocate resources accordingly.
In conclusion, applying a resource leveling approach to MTD’s water installation company and Glasgow events becomes feasible when there is sufficient flexibility in the schedule, resources adjustment, and events rescheduling without compromising their success. However, a detailed analysis of the specific circumstances would be needed to make a definitive assessment.
Resource smoothing is the best approach to use in this case to meet deadlines and also maintain quality.
In the case of MTD and the Glasgow event, resource leveling wont be feasible,because an event has been fixed,project deadlines have been given, event specific requirement like Set up, testing and allocation of resources. I would implement Resource smoothing because it aims to maintain original project deadlines while increasing project costs.
I totally agree with you on this. Resource smoothing would be preferred in the case of MTD though that’s extra costs but deadlines will be met.
I also agree with you. Meeting deadlines in project management is vital and also maintaining the quality by ensuring that the client requirements are been met is very important. Resource smoothing is necessary here because it targets to achieve two important factors that a project requires which are Time and quality.
I agree with Resource smoothing. MTD team can either work overtime or hire more professionals to meet up with the deadline because the project is for an event which already has a deadline. It will cost more but they will at least save their reputation and not cause an event to flop.
I agree with you on this, resource smoothing is actually the best to implement considering all the factors to deadline setups.
I would prefer Resource smoothing over Resource leveling because it shows commitment to meeting up with deadline and going out of one’s way to get every resource needed. But for the fact that Resource smoothing is very capital intensive and may sometimes lead to losses is worth deliberating on intensively.
The water project deadline is fixed already , so resources smoothing would be more suitable in this regard
In the case of MTD and the Glasgow event, whether resource leveling is feasible depends on several factors. Like the project deadline, event specific requirement like Set up, testing etc… allocation of resources.It won’t be feasible implementing a resource leveling approach because an event has been fixed and stakeholders are eagerly waiting for the delivery. However, resource smoothing can be used to fasten up the process and meet deadlines.