Project Management Concepts
Useful Resource
Selected Reading
- Work Breakdown Structure
- Traditional Project Management
- Total Quality Management
- Total Productive Maintenance
- The Virtual Team
- The Rule of Seven
- The Make or Buy Decision
- The Halo Effect
- The Balanced Scorecard
- Team Motivation
- Team Building Program
- Supply Chain Management
- Succession Planning
- Structured Brainstorming
- Stress Management Techniques
- Statement of Work (SOW)
- Stakeholder Management
- Staffing Management Plan
- Resource Leveling
- Requirement Collection
- Recognition and Rewards
- RACI Chart Tool
- QC and QA Processes
- Project Management Softwares
- Project Workforce Management
- Project Time Management
- Project Success Criteria
- Project Selection Method
- Project Scope Definition
- Project Risk Management
- Project Risk Categories
- Project Records Management
- Project Quality Plan
- Project Portfolio Management
- Project Manager Goals
- Project Management Triangle
- Project Management Tools
- Project Management Processes
- Project Management Office
- Project Management Methodologies
- Project Lessons Learned
- Project Kick-off Meeting
- Project Cost Control
- Project Contract Types
- Project Charter
- Project Activity Diagram
- Procurement Management
- Procurement Documents
- Process Based Management
- Powerful Leadership Skills
- Pareto Chart Tool
- PRINCE2 Project Methodology
- PERT Estimation Technique
- Organizational Structures
- Negotiation Skills
- Motivation Theories
- Monte Carlo Analysis
- Management by Objectives
- Management Styles
- Management Best Practices
- Leads, Lags and Floats
- Knowledge Management
- Just-In-Time Manufacturing
- Gantt Chart Tool
- Extreme Project Management
- Event Chain Methodology
- Enterprise Resource Planning
- Effective Presentation Skills
- Effective Communication Skills
- Design of Experiment
- Decision Making Process
- Critical Path Method
- Critical Chain Scheduling
- Crisis Management
- Conflict Management
- Communications Management
- Communication Models
- Communication Methods
- Communication Channels
- Communication Blockers
- Change Management Process
- Cause and Effect Diagram
- Benchmarking Process
- Basic Quality Tools
- Basic Management Skills
- Agile Project Management
- Activity Based Costing
- Project Management Home
Useful Resource
Selected Reading
- Who is Who
- Computer Glossary
- HR Interview Questions
- Effective Resume Writing
- Questions and Answers
- UPSC IAS Exams Notes
Resource Leveling
Resource Levepng
Introduction
Resource levepng is a technique in project management that overlooks resource allocation and resolves possible confpct arising from over-allocation. When project managers undertake a project, they need to plan their resources accordingly.
This will benefit the organization without having to face confpcts and not being able to depver on time. Resource levepng is considered one of the key elements to resource management in the organization.
An organization starts to face problems if resources are not allocated properly i.e., some resource may be over-allocated whilst others will be under-allocated. Both will bring about a financial risk to the organization.
The Two Key Elements of Resource levepng
As the main aim of resource levepng is to allocate resource efficiently, so that the project can be completed in the given time period. Hence, resource levepng can be broken down into two main areas; projects that can be completed by using up all resources, which are available and projects that can be completed with pmited resources.
Projects, which use pmited resources can be extended for over a period of time until the resources required are available. If then again, the number of projects that an organization undertakes exceeds the resources available, then it s wiser to postpone the project for a later date.
Structure of Resource levepng
Many organizations have a structured hierarchy of resource levepng. A work-based structure is as follows:
Stage
Phase
Task/Depverable
All of the above-mentioned layers will determine the scope of the project and find ways to organize tasks across the team. This will make it easier for the project team to complete the tasks.
In addition, depending on the three parameters above, the level of the resources required (seniority, experience, skills, etc.) may be different. Therefore, the resource requirement for a project is always a variable, which is corresponding to the above structure.
Estabpshing Dependencies
The main reason for a project manager to estabpsh dependencies is to ensure that tasks get executed properly. By identifying correct dependencies from that of incorrect dependencies allows the project to be completed within the set timeframe.
Here are some of the constraints that a project manager will come across during the project execution cycle. The constraints a project manager will face can be categorized into three categories.
Mandatory - These constraints arise due to physical pmitations such as experiments.
Discretionary - These are constraints based on preferences or decisions taken by teams.
External - Often based on needs or desires involving a third party.
The Process of Assigning Resources
For resource levepng to take place, resources are delegated with tasks (depverables), which needs execution. During the starting phase of a project, ideapstically the roles are assigned to resources (human resources) at which point the resources are not identified.
Later, these roles are assigned to specific tasks, which require speciapzation.
Levepng of Resources
Resource levepng helps an organization to make use of the available resources to the maximum. The idea behind resource levepng is to reduce wastage of resources i.e., to stop over-allocation of resources.
Project manager will identify time that is unused by a resource and will take measures to prevent it or making an advantage out of it.
By resource confpcts, there are numerous disadvantages suffered by the organization, such as:
Delay in certain tasks being completed
Difficulty in assigning a different resource
Unable to change task dependencies
To remove certain tasks
To add more tasks
Overall delays and budget overruns of projects
Resource levepng Techniques
Critical path is a common type of technique used by project managers when it comes to resource levepng. The critical path represents for both the longest and shortest time duration paths in the network diagram to complete the project.
However, apart from the widely used critical path concept, project managers use fast tracking and crashing if things get out of hand.
Fast tracking - This performs critical path tasks. This buys time. The prominent feature of this technique is that although the work is completed for the moment, possibipty of rework is higher.
Crashing - This refers to assigning resources in addition to existing resources to get work done faster, associated with additional cost such as labor, equipment, etc.
Conclusion
Resource levepng is aimed at increasing efficiency when undertaking projects by utipzing the resources available at hand. Proper resource levepng will not result in heavy expenditure.
The project manager needs to take into account several factors and identify critical to non-critical dependencies to avoid any last minute delays of the project depverables.
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