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Crashing

5 minutes 5 Questions

Crashing is a project schedule compression technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources. It involves analyzing activities on the critical path to determine which ones can be expedited by allocating additional resources, such as adding more staff, approving overtime, or bringing in additional equipment. The primary goal of crashing is to achieve the project’s deadline without altering the scope or compromising quality. In the context of the PMI Scheduling Professional course, understanding crashing is essential because it provides a methodical approach to schedule compression when projects are behind schedule or when the completion date is accelerated. By focusing on the critical path—the sequence of activities that dictates the project’s duration—project managers can identify the activities where accelerating delivery will have the most significant impact on the overall schedule. However, crashing is not without its drawbacks. Increasing resources can lead to higher costs, and there is often a diminishing return on investment. For example, adding more personnel to a task may lead to coordination issues, reduced efficiency, or resource overallocation. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct a cost-benefit analysis to ensure that the additional costs incurred align with the value gained from the reduced schedule duration. Moreover, crashing may introduce risks like decreased quality or increased potential for errors due to the accelerated timelines. It requires careful planning and communication with stakeholders to manage expectations and ensure that the project objectives are met without unintended consequences. In summary, crashing is a deliberate strategy to compress project schedules by adding resources to critical path activities. It requires balancing the trade-offs between cost, time, and quality, and necessitates thorough analysis and stakeholder engagement to implement effectively.

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PMI-SP - Schedule Compression Techniques Example Questions

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Question 1

During project execution, your critical path activities are delayed. After analyzing various schedule compression techniques, what is the primary characteristic of crashing as a schedule compression technique?

Correct Answer: It involves adding resources to reduce activity duration at increased cost

Crashing is a schedule compression technique that specifically involves adding additional resources to activities to reduce their duration, though at an increased cost. Key characteristics of crashing: - Adds resources to critical path activities - Reduces activity duration - Increases project costs - Maintains original scope - Focuses on cost-time trade-offs The other options are incorrect because: - Fast tracking is about performing activities in parallel, which increases risk but is a different compression technique - Reducing project scope is not a schedule compression technique - it's a different type of change that alters project deliverables - Resource optimization through leveling/smoothing typically extends the schedule rather than compressing it Crashing is unique because it maintains the project's logical relationships and scope while trading additional cost for faster completion time.

Question 2

In a project where Crashing is being considered, what best describes the relationship between cost and time reduction?

Correct Answer: A linear cost increase per unit time reduction

In project crashing, there is typically a linear relationship between cost increase and time reduction for each activity being crashed. When analyzing the cost-time relationship in project crashing: - Each unit of time reduction requires a proportional increase in cost - The crash cost per unit time remains constant for each activity until it reaches its maximum crash point - This creates a linear cost slope for each activity The other options are incorrect because: - The cost does not decrease exponentially with resource addition; it actually increases - The cost ratio is not fixed but varies based on which activities are being crashed - There is no logarithmic cost reduction; adding resources to critical activities increases costs linearly

Question 3

In project schedule management, what is a key consideration when selecting activities for crashing to reduce project duration?

Correct Answer: Activities with the lowest crash cost per unit time on the critical path

When crashing a project schedule, the primary goal is to reduce project duration in the most cost-effective way possible. The best approach is to focus on activities that are on the critical path, as these activities determine the overall project duration. Among these critical path activities, we should select those with the lowest crash cost per unit time to minimize the additional costs while achieving the desired schedule reduction. Other options are incorrect because: - Having high resource availability and maximum float time means these activities are not on the critical path, so crashing them would not reduce overall project duration - Short duration and minimal resource requirements are not relevant criteria for crashing decisions if the activities are not on the critical path - Schedule variance alone is not a valid criterion for selecting crash candidates, as activities must be on the critical path to affect the project completion date

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