Every project manager is responsible for completing a project within a specified time range. They devise a strategy based on available resources and the project’s scope. However, specific tasks may need to be hastened due to unforeseen circumstances. So, what is project management crashing, and how does it happen?
We’ve put up a quick guide to tell you everything you need to know to address this. You’ll also get step-by-step instructions for implementing the technique and information on the most typical causes of project crashes.
What Is Project Crashing?
Project crashing refers to the shortened duration of tasks of a particular project to meet the deadlines early. Crashing is functional after adding more resources to the project so that the tasks get completed in less time with accurate efficiency. But, of course, this increases the project’s overall cost. As a result, project crashing aims to bring more expertise into the project, reduce time, and increase the deadline by lowering the costs.
As the triple constraint states, reducing the project’s duration or time necessitates a rise in costs. It’s a compromise. Crashing project management addresses the triple constraint by requiring additional resources or reducing project needs to achieve it.
Significant Reasons for Crashing a Project
Achieve the maximum schedule compression
The primary motivation for crashing your timetable is to complete the job sooner. If you need to move your project’s finish date ahead, crashing gives you the most scheduled compression for negligible impact and the lowest cost.
When a part of the Project endangers the project’s Progress
You may also consider crashing when dealing with a particular aspect of the project, putting the remainder of the project in jeopardy. For example, if a certain workstream isn’t performing adequately, it may become the critical path’s route. That might be fine, but you might worry that this challenging section will keep the remainder of the project hostage.
When another resource requires education
Finally, you may find yourself in a scenario where a resource cannot contribute successfully to the project due to a lack of expertise. Ideally, as project managers, we would select people for the project team who have the talents we need to get the work done. However, I’m sure you’ve heard of cases where “the talents we need to get the job done” were not defined or altered halfway through a project or where we couldn’t find a resource with the necessary experience.
Practices Involved in Crashing
Crashing a project is usually a last resort, and it comes with significant dangers. Before going down this path with your project, there are a few things to think about. First, are the tasks you want to crash critically? These will impact your project’s completion. You can disregard functions that aren’t on the crucial path.
The Crucial Path
The first step is to examine your project’s critical route. This will assist you in determining which jobs can be cut to complete the project sooner. Next, calculate your critical path, and discover which tasks are vital and secondary to the project’s success if you haven’t previously.
Make a List of Tasks
To bring the crashing into the picture, create a list of all the people you have met and taken the project into account. Inquire whether any of the jobs they’re in charge of are on the critical path and could be shortened. Then start searching for methods to make those jobs more efficient.
Choose Wisely
When you know how much money you’ll have to pay (concerning how much time you’ll save) on each activity in your critical route, you may choose the least expensive option. Project crashing is about getting the most out of that extra investment, not just adding resources to get things done faster.
Establish a Financial Plan
You must pay for your plan, just like any other project, once you’ve made your decision. So the next stage in carrying out your project crashing strategy is to create a budget for it. To align with your new project, you’ll need to adjust your baseline, schedule, and resource plan.
Process Involved In Project Crashing
You can simply assess whether you need to employ crashing in project management after understanding what it is and how it works. We’ve outlined five steps you should follow every time you crash a project to get you started.
Go Over the Critical Path Again
The critical route method should always be used, whether using a project management program or planning by hand. This method emphasizes the tasks and numerous aspects that influence the project’s outcome and duration.
Consider the Advantages and Disadvantages of Each Step
If you add more resources to your project, you should constantly consider whether the time saved is worth the price. One of the most critical crashing activities in project management is evaluating the benefits and cons of each phase.
Estimating Funds is More Accessible than Estimating Labor
If you add more people to your team, you must examine how educated they are about the project. In addition, the time it takes to teach them will affect how soon the job is completed.
The Project Timeline should be Updated
You should update the timeline with the new completion date once you’ve finished planning the project management crash. You should also indicate the updated project cost and inform your client or employer of the changes. Most of the time, whoever is in charge will have to go over the updates and approve the new budget. You can skip to the following step if you’re the one who’s funding the project.
Examples of Project Crashing
We’ve produced an example to help you understand how project crashing works.
You’re a project manager for a construction firm, and your most recent project is to develop a new facility. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, severe weather has created delays, and it will take a long time for the concrete to dry before you can resume building.
Your team now has a lot less time to accomplish the job before a crew of roofers arrives to finish the job. Furthermore, the roofers are only available for a specific time before they must move on to their next project, so you won’t be able to prolong your timeline.
As a result, you have two options. First, you can wait for the next team of roofers to arrive, but this will likely result in more delays and the client’s discontent. Alternatively, you can crash the project by allocating additional resources to specific activities and continuing as intended.
Conclusion
So, if you’ve ever wondered why project management is crashing, you should now have an excellent understanding. However, if you decide to use the approach on one of your projects, follow the outlined steps to avoid any additional issues.
