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
use on the MTD water project, as it maintains deadline given and also retains the quality of the project.
Reply
Faith Peters
August 2, 2023 at 3:15 pm
Leveling retains the capacity while MTD manages its limited time and resources, and a new deadline is set.
It is advisable to use resource leveling for projects that have a sufficient amount of non-critical path, which enables time adjustment to stay within the budgeted expenses.
To complete the delivery within the allotted time, MTD in this situation would need to apply resource smoothing. For the MTD water project, resource levelling is therefore not a suitable concept.
we normally use multiple team membership:
it is good to allocate time here and stick to it. It is very exciting and less boring. Although as humans they exhibits conflicts at times
For MTD, Resource leveling will be good to implement because it does not change the project capacity-cost and scope, but the planned timeline will not be met, however, resource smoothing is the best as the MTD project is time-bound and is not flexible on delivery extension.
Which of these are most likely to affect your project(s)?
Thoughtless optimism
Demand equal to resource capacity
The ‘student syndrome’
Multitasking to reduce idle time
Complex schedules
Motivation
Game-playing
All
For MTD, resource smoothing is a great option to meet deadlines with the slim possibility of saving associate costs.
Considering resource smoothing will be the best option for a project like MTD. It safeguards the project’s time frame which is very essential in delivery.
For project like MTD resource levelling will be ok because it help teams better accommodate resource constraints and predict project timelines
Adetoro Olatope
For MTD, Resource levelling will be good to implement because it does not change the project capacity-cost and scope, but the planned timeline will not be met.
The Nature of the projects under the management of MTD is time bound and has relatively fixed deadline which cannot be adjusted (not flexible). In this case project smoothening is best to enable them meet the deadline while maintaining quality outputs! How ever project leveling can also be employed but that’s only if the stakeholders of the events deem it necessary to adjourn the event date which in this regard is the deadline!
Resource smoothing is the best bet as the MTD project is a time bound project and is not flexible on delivery extension.
Resource smoothing will be the better approach for the MTD projects because of the timeframe which is very essential in the project delivery