Resource Smoothing

Correct Answer: Activities shift within their float time while maintaining critical path duration

Resource smoothing is a technique that aims to balance resource usage while keeping the original project duration intact. The key characteristic is that activities can move within their available float time, but the critical path duration remains unchanged. This is the optimal approach because: 1. It maintains the original project completion date 2. It reduces resource usage peaks and valleys 3. It only uses existing float time for adjustments 4. It preserves the critical path calculation The other options are incorrect because: - Mandatory rescheduling across multiple projects refers to resource leveling, not smoothing - The critical path duration should not change during resource smoothing - that would be resource leveling - Resource allocation based on peak availability reverses the proper relationship - smoothing adjusts activities to match resource constraints, not the other way around

Correct Answer: Identify the specific tasks with overallocated resources

The best first step for a project manager in resource smoothing process is to 'identify the specific tasks with overallocated resources'. Resource smoothing aims at avoiding over-allocation of resources and ensuring the workload is evenly distributed across the project without altering the project's end date. Therefore, finding out which tasks are over-allocated is a crucial first step before any re-allocation can be done. 'Increase the project budget to hire more resources' can potentially solve the resource constraint issue but doesn't necessarily bring about optimal resource usage. 'Introducing a mandatory overtime policy for the team' might result in faster task completion but can lead to employee burnout over time and hamper long-term productivity. 'Eliminating non-critical activities' might save resources but can potentially compromise the project's scope.

Correct Answer: When tasks have float and resources are constrained

Resource smoothing is most effective when tasks have float and resources are constrained. Here's why: When tasks have float (slack time), project managers can adjust the timing of these activities to better balance resource usage, while still meeting project deadlines. Constrained resources make smoothing necessary to optimize their allocation. Why other options are incorrect: When resources are unlimited, there's no need for resource smoothing as there are no resource constraints to manage. When all tasks are on the critical path, there's no float available to adjust task timing, making resource smoothing ineffective. When resource availability fluctuates due to external market conditions, this creates an unpredictable environment where resource smoothing techniques would be less effective as the baseline for smoothing keeps changing.