Resource leveling
A project involves series of tasks and activities that will require people to perform it. There would also be the identification of other types of resources such as software or hardware and how to utilize and maximize it. When more resources like machines or people are needed, than what is readily available, or just in case a person would need to different tasks and will require him to multitask, the tasks will have to be rescheduled concurrently or sequentially to manage the constraints.
Project resource leveling is the process of resolving unforeseen or unexpected conflicts to bring back the balance and harmony in the project execution. Allocations can be made and updating of the tasks and time table can be done as well to maintain work orders.
Resource leveling involves two elements: completing the tasks by maximizing all the resources; and extending the limited resources. Resource leveling is covered by the three parameters namely: stage, phase and deliverable. These are layers that make it easier to finish the project because it help plan for strategic ways on finishing the project and meeting the deadlines. Resource leveling is too complicated that it would need software to create formulas in examining the entire schedule from multiple perspectives, considering tasks relationships and dependencies, and dynamically setting the start and end dates according to the identified resource levels. There are constraints that will fall into different categories: mandatory which arises due to limited experiments; discretionary constraints based on decision makings; and external which involves the interest of a third party.
How to do it?
The techniques in resource leveling include: fast tracking where the possibility of rework can be seen because everything has been a short cut just to catch up and beat the deadline; and crashing which entails additional expenditures like buying more machines to make the work faster.
Resource leveling will help the manager to prevent delay in tasks and accomplish it on time. This could mean that the allocations done are highly effective. More so, the difficulty in assigning some resource can be solved because there are people assigned to multitask because of their ability to do so. The manager can also remove or add more tasks when necessary. The budget allocation can also be maximized to avoid over runs and over spending.
Not just mere numbers
Resource Leveling goes beyond numbers and computations. It is being implemented to create a realistic, workable schedule. However, it has to be strategic to make sound and rational decisions relating to the success of the project. The manager has to identify the types or resources to needed to complete the project. It will serve as a guide to the employees to expect what is in the end of everything. Next is to determine whether if there is a possibility that there will be a limitation on the resources to be used. This will help the manager to apply the necessary strategic procedures to cope with the insufficiency. Lastly, it will allow the manager to adjust and re-adjust the time schedule to consider the resources, limitations and the constraints.
