5/19/2016

DifferencesbetweenResourceLevelingandResourceSmoothing?

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Underlining the dierences between Resource
Leveling and Resource Smoothing?
FEBRUARY 12, 2014 | SAKET BANSAL

Homepage (http://www.izenbridge.com) > Blog (http://www.izenbridge.com/blog/) > PMP

(http://www.izenbridge.com/blog/category/pmp/) > Project Time Management
(http://www.izenbridge.com/blog/category/pmp/project-time-management/) > Underlining the
dierences between Resource Leveling and Resource Smoothing?
(http://www.izenbridge.com/blog/underlining-the-dierences-between-resource-leveling-andresource-smoothing/)

Under Project time management knowledge area there is a specic process called Develop Project
schedule. Under this process, we have Resource Optimization Techniques and these are resource
leveling and resource smoothing.Today we are discussing dierences between resource leveling
and resource smoothing.
Smoothing (resource smoothing technique is a new entry in the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition ).
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Smoothing (resource smoothing technique is a new entry in the PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition ).
Now, as both of these techniques are resource optimization techniques so their primary focus is
to allocate resources in such a way to bring maximum output eectively. Due to this reason PMP
(http://www.izenbridge.com/pmp/online-course/) test takers generally gets confused between
these two terms.
Let us begin with how PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition denes these two techniques:
Resource leveling
A technique in which start and nish dates are adjusted based on resource constraints with the
goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply. PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition.
(http://www.pmi.org/PMBOK-Guide-and-Standards.aspx)
Resource Smoothing
A technique that adjusts the activities of a schedule model such that the requirements for
resources on the project do not exceed certain predened resource limits. PMBOK Guide Fifth
Edition.

When we are developing the schedule, we sequence the activities and then we assign resources
and estimate duration. Now, while we are performing all these activities, our focus is generally to
sequence activities based on their dependencies (mandatory or discretionary). After this, we may
end up developing a schedule where some of the resources are over allocated. When we apply
resource leveling, we apply resource constraints (like we do not have more than 45 hours in a
week) to our schedule, applying this resource constraint may result in change of project schedule
dependencies and it may result in change in project duration. In the image above when we
applied 45 hours constraint to 7 week project, then it became 9 week project schedule.
After applying resource leveling you have a resource constrained schedule, but you may still have
the desired level of allocation in your project plan to keep things well managed. Lets say your

Share desired level of allocation per week is 38 hours, now by doing Resource Smoothing you try to
adjust activities in such a way that you achieve this desired level of resource allocation. You may
not be able to do it for all the weeks since you do not think of changing the project duration while
applying this smoothing, so you do it only wherever slack is available.
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applying this smoothing, so you do it only wherever slack is available.

Dierences between Resource Leveling and Resource Smoothing

Resource leveling

Resource Smoothing

It applies the resource constraints to the

project and may result in change in
project duration.

We apply resource smoothing after doing

resource leveling and we make use of slack, and
will not result in change of project duration.

Resource Leveling is primarily driven by

resource constraints, like you do not have
more than 45 hours of the given resource
for a week.

Resource smoothing is more to do with desired

limits, like we do have 45 hours available for given
resource but we wish that we allocate 38 hours
per week so we have some breathing space.

The allocation limits identied in resource

leveling must be applied.

The desired limit identied in resource smoothing

may not be applied in some cases, if we do not
have slack.

The resource leveling is done rst and

then we do the resource smoothing. Since
we need to rst accommodate the
resource constraints before we can
optimize it.

We apply resource smoothing after applying

resource leveling.

Im sure I have answered all your questions on dierences between resource leveling and
resource smoothing.
You may also like to watch a video presentation on dierences between resource leveling and
resource smoothing.

Resource Leveling and Resource Smoothing | iZenBridge

Click here to chat

You can join the discussion on the same in our Forum (http://forum.izenbridge.com). You can also
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You can join the discussion on the same in our Forum (http://forum.izenbridge.com). You can also
log into our YouTube ( https://www.youtube.com/user/izenbridge ) channel watch the video on the
same.
Article Summary

Article Name

Underlining the dierences between Resource Leveling and

Resource Smoothing?

Author

Saket Bansal

Description

Find out the dierences between Resource Leveling and Resource

Smoothing. Two resource optimization techniques mentioned in
PMBOK Guide Fifth Edition.

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IT Experience and Achievements: He is a Software Product Development and

Management professional with an experience of 15 years to back with. With Strong IT base,
Saket has developed various online portals including client server using.Net, ASP.net, C#,
Java, Oracle, PowerBuilder, Google Web Toolkit, cloud and OOP concepts. He specializes in

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Java, Oracle, PowerBuilder, Google Web Toolkit, cloud and OOP concepts. He specializes in
system architecture, design patterns, and database design. Certications: Project
Management Professional (PMP) certied, PMI USA PMI-ACP certied, PMI USA CSM,
Certied Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance CSP , Certied Scrum Professional from Scrum
Alliance SPC , Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Program Consultant from Scale Academy ITIL
V3, EXIN

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Jointhediscussion
shoaib 10monthsago

Thankyousir,reallyclearedmyconcepts:)

Reply Share

FG ayearago

Goodexplanation!
AsIunderstandit,eachschedulingsoftwarehasitsownapproachtotheresourcelevelingand
itdependsheavilyonthealgorithmseachproductuses,whichresultsyougetafterresource
leveling.Correct?
Inotherwords:whenwetakeanidenticaldatasetcontainingforexample1000activitiesand
just2resources.Calendars.milestonesandsoon,allsetthesame.
Whenwedon'tdoresourceleveling,MSProject,PrimaveraP6andotherschedulingsoftware
shouldcalculateidenticalschedules.Correct?
Dependingontheresourcelevelingapproachofeachsoftware,afterapplyingresourceleveling

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tothisschedule,resultswillalmostcertaindifferfromeachother.Alsocorrect?
Whenthisisthecase,howdoInowiftheschedulefromsoftwareAisbetterthantheschedule
ofsoftwareB?

Reply Share

SaketBansal>FG ayearago

Ihaveusedfewschedulingsoftwarebutfordoingresourcelevelingalwaysputown
logicsinceasPMwecanonlyseehowtooptimizetheschedulewithlimitedresources.
Regards,
Saket

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ALSOONIZENBRIDGE

PMIACPEligibilityExperienceCriteria
Demystified
2comments10monthsago

SaketBansalNotatalltoworryaboutit,

sincewhenyoudoPMPyouexplainyour3
yearsofleadinganddirectingexperience
andforPMIACPweonlyneed

PMIACP
3comments7monthsago

SamirThanksSaketforansweringa

query.Ihavebeenwatchingyourvideoson
YouTubeonvarioustopicsandalready
impressedbyyourwayofteaching.

DemistifyingPMPExamChangesAfter
11thJan2016

Private:ExpertPMPSessions
Cynosure

2comments5monthsago

2comments4monthsago

SaketBansalThiswasoldwebinar,now

SeemaSonkiyaPMIPBADearEsakki,

youcanbrowsetherecording,doletusknow

Greetings!!Thanksforcontactingusforthe

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