A PMP Guide to Schedule Compression Technique

 

A PMP Guide to Schedule Compression Technique

 

Imagine you are working a project, and suddenly customer asks to finish the project three weeks earlier. You have to finish the project without altering the schedule. The only option is Schedule Compression.

Let us understand the importance of this method and how to use this in real world scenario and apply this knowledge to answer PMP Exam.

Schedule Compression is a technique used to reduce the project schedule without reducing the project scope.

There are two types of Schedule Compression

✅ Fast Tracking

✅ Crashing

🔹 Fast Tracking – Doing activities in parallel that were planned in sequence. For e.g., Testing team will wait for the development team to complete development activities as per the regular plan. However, the schedule can be shortened if the testing team can start the testing instead of waiting for the development team to complete all the activities.

      🔹 Crashing – Adding more resources to critical path activities. For e.g., If Activity A has one two resources and takes 10 days to complete. If there is a requirement shorten the schedule, we can add two more resources along with existing resources so that the schedule will be reduced.

                                                                   Fast Tracking Vs Crashing

 

Fast Tracking

Crashing

Definition

Doing activities in parallel that were planned in sequence

Adding more resources to critical path activities

Example

Start testing before coding is complete

Add more developers to speed up coding

Pros

No Extra Cost

Faster delivery

Cons

Risk of rework

Increase cost 

  Let us Analyze each method with an example

👉 Fast Tracking – Schedule 


As shown in above diagram both A activities and B are overlapped which will reduce the overall schedule without impacting the scope of the project. However, overlapping or working activities in parallel may introduce a risk factor.

 👉 Crashing-Schedule

 

As show in above diagram. Each activity is loaded with more resources which will eventually complete the overall project within short duration. However, this method will increase the cost as we are adding more resources.

 

🔑 Takeaways of schedule Compression.

Schedule compression helps shorten project duration without reducing scope.

Two key techniques

Ø  Crashing – Add resources – cost goes up 💰

Ø  Fast Tracking – Do activities in parallel – Risk goes up ⚠️

Always focus on critical path activities, since they directly affect the project’s finish date.

 

 Further Reading

· 📌 Contingency vs Management Reserve Explained Simply

· 📌 5 Tricks to Tackle PMP Situational Questions

📺     Schedule Compression Explained – YouTube Video

 

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