Resource Allocation and Leveling

Correct Answer: Split the resource's time proportionally based on activity priorities and dependencies

The optimal approach to handle a skilled resource assigned to multiple critical path activities is to split their time proportionally based on activity priorities and dependencies. Here's why: The correct answer reflects best practices in resource management by: - Considering activity priorities to ensure the most crucial work gets appropriate attention - Accounting for dependencies which affect the sequence and timing of work - Maintaining a balanced approach to resource utilization - Enabling efficient progress on critical path activities Why other approaches are suboptimal: Assigning overtime for all critical activities is unsustainable and can lead to burnout, reduced productivity, and increased costs. Distributing the resource equally fails to account for varying importance and urgency of different activities, potentially delaying critical work. Letting the resource self-prioritize may result in suboptimal decisions from a project perspective, as individual preferences might not align with project requirements and dependencies.

Correct Answer: To minimize fluctuations in resource usage while maintaining project constraints

Resource leveling aims to create a smoother resource utilization pattern throughout the project duration while maintaining project constraints. The primary objective is to minimize peaks and valleys in resource usage patterns. The correct answer focuses on achieving consistent resource usage while respecting project constraints, which is the fundamental purpose of resource leveling. The other options are incorrect because: - Maximizing resource utilization on critical path activities can lead to resource overallocation and inefficient use of resources - Reducing project duration by allocating resources to non-critical activities contradicts the purpose of resource leveling and may create resource conflicts - Balancing workload between departments while extending timelines focuses on organizational structure rather than efficient resource usage patterns, and unnecessarily extends the project duration

Correct Answer: Adjust the resource usage by shifting non-critical activities within their float

Resource leveling should first aim to resolve overallocation by utilizing available float in non-critical activities. This approach maintains the critical path and project duration while resolving resource conflicts. The best solution is to adjust non-critical activities within their float because: - It preserves the project end date - It uses existing schedule flexibility - It doesn't incur additional costs - It maintains the original resource allocation Other options are less optimal because: - Adding overtime hours increases project costs and can lead to fatigue and reduced productivity - Splitting activities between multiple resources may create coordination issues and might not be feasible due to skill requirements - Fast-tracking parallel activities increases risk and may create quality issues due to compressed timeframes Resource leveling through float adjustment is the most cost-effective and least risky approach to resolve resource overallocation.