Resource management can be painful. Department managers know it; any manager who has direct reporting resources knows it... read more.
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If you plan to update your membership, book an event or access APM Learning, APM Community or use other resources, please do this outside of these dates.
The 15 November Chartered Project Professional submission date is unaffected.
Thank you for your patience.
What is resource optimisation?
Definition
Resource optimisation is a collective term used to describe the methods for ensuring that labour and non-labour resources are matched to the schedule.
Definition from APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
Resources
Project professionals required to use scarce resources optimally in order to keep projects within the agreed scope have two basic options available to them: resource levelling and resource smoothing.
Resources can be one of more of the following:
- labour;
- plant and equipment
- materials
- facilities, such as specialist test sites.
How to perform resource levelling
Resource levelling may be achieved by:
- Redefining the scope of the activities to be undertaken by the particular resource concerned. In simple terms, this might mean giving some of the work to an under-utilised resource.
- Redefining the specification. This obviously may compromise the quality of the final product.
- Increasing task duration to reduce the overall resource requirements.
- Increasing resources on earlier tasks to bring workload forward, such that peaks in the future are reduced. This will have cost, and possibly quality, implications.
- Delaying non-critical work to reduce demand at peak time – i.e. using free and total float to optimise the schedule.
Difference between 'resource smoothing' and 'resource levelling'
A scheduling calculation that involves utilising float or increasing or decreasing the resources required for specific activities, such that any peaks and troughs of resource usage are smoothed out. This does not affect the overall duration.
It is also known as time limited resource scheduling.
Watch: What is resource and capacity planning in projects
Related reading
This article reports on publishing trends at the intersection between HRM and PBO in key research-led journals in the project management field... read more.
Thirty four APM members and guests attended the BAWA Centre in Filton Bristol for a very interesting presentation by David Dunning of CPS regarding Resource Management and what else is needed besides an excel spreadsheet and a short period of time... read more.
A scheduling calculation that involves utilising float or increasing or decreasing the resources required for specific activities, such that any peaks and troughs of resource usage are smoothed out. This does not affect the overall duration. It is also known as time limited resource scheduling.
APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition
The APM Body of Knowledge 7th edition is a foundational resource providing the concepts, functions and activities that make up professional project management. It reflects the developing profession, recognising project-based working at all levels, and across all sectors for influencers, decision makers, project professionals and their teams.
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