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Schedule Compression

5 minutes 5 Questions

Schedule Compression involves techniques used to shorten the project schedule without changing project scope. The two most common techniques are Crashing (adding resources to activities to finish them faster) and Fast Tracking (performing activities in parallel that were initially planned in sequence). Managers use Schedule Compression when the project timeline has increased, but the deadline cannot change. These techniques require risk analysis as they could lead to rework or increased cost.

Guide to Understanding Schedule Compression

Schedule Compression is a technique in project scheduling where the project schedule is shortened while keeping the project scope constant.

Why it is Important:
It is used when a project is running behind schedule or when there is an opportunity to complete the project early. It involves trade-offs between schedule, cost and risk, thus, having important implications for project management.

What is Schedule Compression:
It is a vital task-sequencing related concept that is concerned with shortening the project schedule without altering project scope. Two common techniques used in schedule compression are crashing (adding resources to critical path tasks) and fast tracking (perform tasks in parallel that were planned in sequence).

How it Works:
Schedule compression works by identifying ways to overlap or eliminate tasks, or by adding team members or hours to a project.

How to Answer Questions on Schedule Compression in an Exam:
When answering questions on Schedule Compression, it’s important to underline that it doesn't involve reducing project scope. Understand the concepts of fast tracking and crashing as methods of schedule compression. Be equipped to calculate costs related to both schedule compression techniques if necessary.

Exam Tips:
Key points to remember include understanding the trade-offs between time, cost and scope involved in schedule compression, remembering that fast-tracking increases risk and that crashing can lead to increased cost. Always provide clear instances of when to use either method.

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CAPM - Project Scheduling Example Questions

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Question 1

Which schedule compression technique involves both adding resources and potentially increasing project costs?

Correct Answer: Crashing

Crashing is the correct answer to this question. Crashing is a schedule compression technique that involves adding resources to critical path activities to reduce their duration, which can potentially increase project costs. Here's why this is the best answer: 1. Crashing specifically involves adding resources to accelerate the project schedule. 2. It focuses on shortening the duration of activities on the critical path. 3. By adding resources, it typically increases project costs. The other options are incorrect for the following reasons: - Fast-tracking and resource optimization: While these are schedule compression techniques, they don't necessarily involve adding resources or increasing costs. Fast-tracking involves performing activities in parallel that would normally be done in sequence, while resource optimization focuses on efficient use of existing resources. - Critical path acceleration: This is a general term and doesn't specifically imply adding resources or increasing costs. It could be achieved through various methods, not just by adding resources. - Parallel task execution: This is similar to fast-tracking and doesn't necessarily involve adding resources or increasing costs. It's about rearranging the schedule to perform tasks simultaneously when possible. Crashing is the only option that clearly involves both adding resources and potentially increasing project costs to compress the schedule.

Question 2

You have been put in charge of a hardware manufacturing project, which, due to a recent surge in market demand, needs to be expedited. Tasks are strictly sequential, but there’s flexibility in the budget. What should be your approach?

Correct Answer: Crashing

The best approach here is 'Crashing'. Crashing is a technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources. In this case, since tasks are strictly sequential but there's flexibility in the budget, crashing allows you to expedite the project by investing more resources. 'Fast Tracking' is incorrect because it involves doing several tasks concurrently that were planned to be done in sequence, which is not possible in this scenario. 'Resource Smoothing' is not a solution to expedite the project, it is a technique used to adjust the project schedule to meet resource allocation constraints. 'Schedule Network Analysis' is a technique that generates the project schedule but it doesn't necessarily help to expedite it.

Question 3

You are leading an e-commerce development project, and your client has requested an earlier delivery date. It's not possible to overlap tasks, yet additional resources may be accommodated. What schedule compression technique should you adopt?

Correct Answer: Crashing

The best answer is 'Crashing'. In the context of project management, 'crashing' refers to the technique of schedule compression which entails the addition of extra resources to tasks to reduce their duration, thereby speeding up the project completion date. Since the question presents a scenario in which 'additional resources may be accommodated', crashing is the appropriate technique to adopt. Meanwhile, 'Fast Tracking' is not feasible as the question explicitly mentioned 'it's not possible to overlap tasks'. 'Resource Leveling' is not suitable because this process involves adjusting the project schedule to minimize the fluctuation of resource demand and does not necessarily speed up the project. As for 'Monte Carlo Analysis', it's a risk assessment technique that is unrelated to scheduling or speeding up a project, hence it isn't a suitable option in this scenario.

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