Schedule Compression Technique: Fast Tracking Vs Crashing

Why do we Apply Schedule Compression Techniques in the Project?

Schedule compression techniques in project management aim and focus primarily on reducing the project schedule without altering the project scope. This is often necessary to meet deadlines, mitigate delays, or accommodate changes that have occurred during the project's execution.

1. Project deadline is approaching and there still a lot of work to be done.
2. There is a delay in starting the project.

Original Vs Fast Tracking Vs Crashing

Two Techniques is Mostly used for schedule compression techniques.

1. Fast Tracking (First option)
2. Crashing (Second Option)
3. Combine Strategy (PM Preference but not specified in PM book)

1. Fast Tracking

Technique: This involves performing more activities in parallel. It is a technique in which activities that are normally done in sequence are executed either partially or fully in parallel.

Disadvantages: The primary risk with fast tracking is that performing tasks in parallel may lead to rework if one task is dependent on another. This can increase the risk of project failures or delays. Miscommunication and errors are also more likely to occur.

Limitation: Provide a detailed breakdown of activities, including when and where each activity should be started, as well as which activities can be performed in parallel otherwise Increased Complexity may Lead in communication gaps and cause Re-work & Quality Risk.

Remedies: Careful planning and communication is crucial to avoid potential pitfalls. Tasks should be selected for fast tracking only if they have little to no dependency on each other to minimize the risk of rework. Regular monitoring and controlling is also essential to ensure that the project is on track.

2. Crashing

Technique: This involves adding more resources to the project to compress the schedule. It is used to shorten the project duration with the least incremental cost by adding resources.

Disadvantages: Main downside of crashing is that it often leads to increased costs because additional resources are used to complete the project. Moreover, the addition of new team members or resources can lead to communication issues, decreased morale, or reduced productivity.

Limitation: Limited Applicability Not all activities can be effectively crashed. Law of Diminishing Returns: There's a limit to how much an activity can be sped up, no matter how many resources are added. Adding more tasks to an already busy team can lead to burnout and decreased productivity.

Remedies: To mitigate these risks, the decision to crash a project should be based on a thorough cost-benefit analysis. Only tasks that will actually benefit from additional resources should be crashed. It's also important to manage and communicate effectively with the team during this process to maintain morale and productivity.

3. Combine Strategy

By strategically combining fast tracking and crashing, project managers can achieve significant schedule compression while managing the associated risks and costs effectively.

Technique:

1. Enhanced Flexibility: Using both techniques allows you to adjust your approach based on the specific circumstances of each task or stage of the project.
2. Time Savings: By fast tracking and crashing simultaneously, you can achieve significant reductions in project timelines. Fast tracking allows for tasks to be completed in parallel, while crashing allows for tasks to be completed more quickly through the addition of resources.
3. Maximizing Resources: Crashing allows you to add more resources to critical tasks, while fast tracking can free up resources from certain tasks to be used elsewhere.
4. Better Risk Management: Using both techniques can help balance the risks associated with each. For example, the increased risk of rework with fast tracking can be mitigated by using crashing to allocate more resources to quality control.
5. Improved Project Delivery: By combining these techniques, you can ensure that the project is delivered on time, even in the face of delays or other challenges.
6. Cost and Time Efficiency: While crashing might increase the cost due to addition of resources, fast tracking could potentially save costs by reducing the project timeline. These two can balance each other out.

Disadvantages:

1. Increased Risk: Both techniques can increase the risk of project failure. Fast tracking may lead to rework if tasks overlap incorrectly, while crashing can lead to increased costs and overburdened resources.
2. Quality Control: With many tasks happening concurrently and resources stretched thin, maintaining the quality of output can be a challenge.
3. Coordination Complexity: Managing more tasks at once and coordinating additional resources can complicate project management and communication.

Limitations:

1. Resource Availability: There may not always be additional resources available to allocate when using the crashing technique.
2. Efficiency Drop: There can be a point of diminishing returns where adding more resources does not speed up a task (crashing), or overlapping too many tasks leads to confusion and mistakes (fast tracking).

Remedies:

1. Risk Management: Carry out a thorough risk assessment before implementing these techniques. Create a contingency plan to manage potential problems.
2. Effective Communication: Ensure everyone involved in the project understands the changes and what they need to do. Regular updates and clear communication can help prevent misunderstandings and mistakes.
3. Constant Monitoring: Keep a close eye on the project's progress. This can help you spot any issues early and take corrective action before they cause significant delays.
4. Balanced Approach: Don't crash all tasks or fast track everything. Use these techniques where they make the most sense and can provide the most benefit.
5. Adequate Quality Checks: Ensure that there are sufficient quality control measures in place to maintain the standard of work.

Conclusion:

In all cases, successful implementation of these techniques requires a thorough understanding of the project's specifics, effective communication, constant monitoring, and a balanced approach. These techniques are tools that can enhance project management, but they are not substitutes for good planning, execution, and control.

Project Management Article Part 4

See previous Article: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/anubhav-sharma-17873686_bananacurve-agility-adaptability-activity-7157062160538312705-avIy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

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