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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Smoothing means additional cost but the quality of project set at the transition level will still be attained with the right set of team members and also project deadline will be accomplish at the set date.But I have few reservation,it might not be proper to increase a cost that might affect the cost of production, just to to mighty up with the deadline.But could be the best option if the additional cost will not push the out put up,resulting to hike in the price of the out put as against the current market.
Resource levelling however cause some delay ,there should be consideration of factors e.g inflation etc
Considering the MTD Project, I will recommend the Resource smoothing because there will be no impact on the deadline and the quality will be attained but at a higher cost.
Although resource smoothing means additional cost but i will go for it because it means that the quality of project set at the transition level will still be attained with the right set of team members and also project deadline will be accomplish at the set date.
If I decide to adopt resource levelling it will be because there is an obvious situation that is pointing to the fact that quality of the project will not be attain due to the inadequacy of some team members or unforeseen situation that might happen to some task owners. This will
however cause some delay in project time.
Resource leveling might be feasible in the scenario of MTD’s water installation events company in Glasgow if the following conditions are met:
Limited Resources: If the company is dealing with limited resources (e.g., specialized equipment, skilled personnel, or specific materials) that are critical for multiple tasks, resource leveling can help prevent resource bottlenecks and avoid overloading certain resources while leaving others idle.
Flexible Task Scheduling: The tasks in the project should have some degree of flexibility in their start and end dates. If tasks have rigid deadlines or dependencies that cannot be adjusted, resource leveling might not be feasible.
Non-Critical Tasks: The project should have non-critical tasks that can be rescheduled or delayed without significantly impacting the project’s overall timeline or objectives. These tasks can be rearranged to better manage resources.
Tolerance for Schedule Adjustments: Stakeholders, including clients or project sponsors, should be open to schedule adjustments to accommodate resource leveling. Sometimes, reorganizing tasks can result in changes to the original project timeline.
Project Constraints: Consideration of other constraints such as budget limitations, client preferences, and external factors that might influence the project.
Resource leveling is a powerful tool to optimize resource allocation and create a smoother workflow. However, its feasibility depends on the specific characteristics and constraints of the project.
As a PM for MTD, I will adopt the resource smoothing approach even if the cost will increase but quality will be maintained and we will meet with the proposed deadline.
This method brings about customer satisfaction and more referrals.
As a PM for MTD, I will adopt the Resource smoothing even if the cost will increase but quality will be maintained and we will meet with the proposed deadline.
For MTD water project, as a Project Manager, I will go for resource smoothing and not resource levelling, in as much as resource smoothing will attract more cost, but it would help achieve quality even before deadline. The impact of resource levelling on the project would affect meeting up deadline which is not entirely good for the MTD project.
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. By adjusting the resource requirements, MTD might make sure that the burden is distributed more equally over time without exceeding the capability of the resources.
For the MTD water project, I won’t recommend resource levelling because it will affect the project deadlines. Therefore, I recommend a resource smoothing which will focus on preserving the planned deadlines but will need a rescheduling or increase of resources.
For me, I will go with resource leveling because I want a stable workload which will activate the morales of my project team and reduces risk of stress. We all know the project team is the engine room, and once the engine is down it is a failed project besides resource smoothing will always increase project cost, which is a No-No situation for me. Thanks.