Compress Schedules

Schedule compression techniques are ways to cut the time it takes to finish a project while keeping its scope and quality the same. This can be done by taking out tasks, activities, or phases from the project schedule that aren’t needed or by finishing tasks in less time than was planned. When a project manager wants to shorten the length of a project without changing its scope, they use techniques called “schedule compression.” It can be used when a project is behind schedule and needs to catch up, or when it needs to be finished earlier than planned.

What Is a Compressed Schedule?

When making a schedule, if a project is behind schedule, schedule compression techniques are used. The goal of schedule compression is to try to get more done in less time without changing the scope of the project. Because if the scope of a project hasn’t changed and the project is behind schedule, the only way to meet the original deadline is to shorten the remaining schedule.

Two schedule compression techniques

The first way to shorten a project’s schedule is called “fast tracking.”

The first method is called “fast tracking.” Let’s talk about what fast tracking means in project management. In the fast tracking schedule compression technique, activities on the critical path are done at the same time instead of one after the other. This is possible as long as the tasks don’t have to be done in a certain order. Because if two things depend on each other by their very nature, you can’t do them both at the same time. For example, you can’t start testing a screen before it’s finished being built. If two critical path activities depend on each other because of a resource dependency or a choice dependency, you can move those activities to the front of the line so you can finish the other tasks faster.

The second way to shorten a project’s schedule is called “crashing.”

The second method is to crash. In the crashing schedule compression technique, cost and time are traded off. If the project is behind schedule and the scope hasn’t changed, one way to get it back on track is to put more resources on the remaining tasks. Because if more than one resource can be assigned to an activity, it will take less time to do that activity. This will help get the project done more quickly. But since these extra resources weren’t part of the original plan, using crashing to compress the schedule will cost more.

5 major steps to follow if the project is behind the schedule

If a project is behind schedule, there are 5 big steps that need to be taken in order.

• First, check and re-evaluate the risks. Because re-estimating the remaining activities can lead to shorter activity times if the risks that were taken into account during planning are no longer true. Re-estimating will show how long it will take to finish the rest of the project’s tasks.

• If re estimating the project causes the deadline to be pushed back, the project should be sped up. The remaining critical path activities are looked at, and any tasks that can be done at the same time can be done to speed up the project. This is one of the advantages of fast tracking over crashing in project management, since fast tracking doesn’t cost the project any more money.

• Stopping the project is the third step. To cover the rising costs, plans are made for more resources and more money is set aside. Since more people will work on the project’s remaining tasks, it should be possible to finish on time.

• Scope reduction is the fourth step. Reducing the project’s scope can help cut down on the number of tasks left to do, and if the customer agrees, it can help the project get done on time.

• Cutting the quality is the fifth step. To reach a certain level of quality, you have to spend money and spend time. If the customer agrees to accept less quality, you can finish the project faster by cutting back on quality. Note that the fourth and fifth steps are not the best way to go about a project.

Conclusion

Project managers start with fast-tracking because it doesn’t cost more and helps them get more done in less time. But it increases risk because things are happening at the same time. As a general rule, you can speed up activities that come one after the other by 33%. This means that you can move on to the next task when the last one is 66 percent done.