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
AKAOLISA CHRISTIAN, OBIORA
Resource levelling cannot be applied to the MTD water event project, because deadline has been fixed and the event was waiting to light up in three days. Resource smoothing focuses on preserving planned deadlines but increase project cost, at a time like this it’s better to increase cost and still meet deadline because event is taking place in few days .
For MTD, the water installation event company and the Glasgow event I feel resource leveling is hard as date is fixed and considering rescheduling might end up project to not meet deadlines. I think smoothing is more practical as it keeps deadline though it may require more cost or effort
Alexander Emene-ijekeye team 10 cohort 27
Resource levelling could be used for MTD Glasgow event but it can only be used on some tasks with free time. It would help spread work more evenly and avoid overload and critical tasks will be hindered because of the fixed event deadline.
Resource smoothing helps project output quality set from the beginning.
Resource smoothing helps project output quality set from beginning
Njoku Chiwunma Colette
For the MTD project, I recommend applying resource smoothing to ensure deadlines are met without compromising cost efficiency. This approach involves setting defined parameters for job duration and scheduling, allowing work to progress smoothly while avoiding resource strain or overallocation.
Resource Smoothing works only when the project deadlines are fixed and you can adjust task timing without changing the critical path. It assumes you can still finish on time by shifting non-critical activities.
Resource Leveling is used when resource capacity is the main constraint, even if it means extending the project timeline. Since MTD cannot add new resources, leveling allows you to adjust the schedule to match actual resource availability.
Hence, If deadlines are absolutely fixed, resource smoothing is the only option — but it may be risky for MTD given their capacity issues.
If deadlines can be negotiated, resource leveling is safer, as it ensures the plan is realistic with the resources MTD actually has.
Christopher otu cohort 27 Team 3
I think resource smoothing would be a better option because it would affect the deadline but rather the cost
Resources leveling might be considered if the client is well informed about the resources limitation and can shift the deadline or day of the event (if not so, it can’t be considered)
Indeed, resource leveling is a viable approach for the MTD project, as it primarily affects the deadline. In contrast, resource smoothing prioritizes meeting deadlines by adjusting capacity and costs, often through overtime, which can compromise worker well-being and increase errors. As a project manager, I believe it’s more effective to adopt resource leveling, which saves costs and maintains working conditions, even if it means rescheduling deadlines.
After all, preventing mistakes and ensuring quality is often more important than meeting an aggressive timeline hence Rescheduling deadlines is preferable to risking project quality and worker burnout.
Project timelines may slip if activities are rearranged without the resource capacity being changed if MTD is facing resource limitations and is unable to allocate new resources to the project. This could be a concern if there are set deadlines or commitments to stakeholders.
A more effective MTD method in this case would be resource smoothing. The basic objective of resource smoothing is to keep to deadlines while taking into account rising project costs. It involves controlling job duration and timing within set parameters in order to avoid resource overloads.