In: Operations Management
In a well-constructed initial response utilizing the knowledge you gained from the initial readings as well as your own experiences, discuss the following question:
What are the risks associated with leveling resources, compressing or crashing projects, and imposed durations or “catch-up” as the project is being implemented?
Explain the risks associated with leveling resources, compressing or crashing projects, and imposed durations or “catch-up” as the project is being implemented.
(Crashing means reducing the project duration.) The risks associated with leveling, crashing, and “catch-up” are similar to those noted in question Flexibility is decreased and the risk of delay is increased. For example, slack is used up and may cause other bottlenecks later in a sequence of activities. Having time buffers at merge points before the project begins could help avoid some of the need to crash activities. Decoupling critical activities can help to cut time if decoupling is possible and resources can be shifted; however, the risk is typically reduced only slightly.
Leveling resources, compressing or crashing projects, and imposed durations or “catch-up” are project scheduling tools that carry risk.
• Leveling resources attempt to even out demand resources by delaying non-critical activities using slack to increase resource utilization. Delaying non-critical activities carries the potential to delay the overall project since delayed activities may affect critical path activities.
• Compressing is a technique in which the previously determined schedule is shortened in a manner which does not reduce the project scope. The risks of schedule compressing are time overrun and the possibility that one or more activities in the network may have to be eliminated.
• Crashing entails adding more resources to activities on the critical path with the objective of completing the project earlier. Shifting resources can lead to reduction of time so that the critical path is as short as possible. Crashing carries the risk of budget overruns and poor quality-critical activities carry the potential to delay the overall project since delayed activities may affect critical path activities.
• Compressing is a technique in which the previously determined schedule is shortened in a manner which does not reduce the project scope. The risks of schedule compressing are time overrun and the possibility that one or more activities in the network may have to be eliminated.
• Crashing entails adding more resources to activities on the critical path with the objective of completing the project earlier. Shifting resources can lead to reduction of time so that the critical path is as short as possible. Crashing carries the risk of budget overruns and poor quality