4.

Based on your understanding and literature research on internet, explain resource

leveling and provide an example

Answer:

RESOURCE LEVELLING:

In project management, resource levelling is defined by A Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) as "A technique in which start and finish dates are adjusted based on
resource limitation with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply.”
Resource leveling problem could be formulated as an optimization problem. The problem could be
solved by different optimization algorithms such as exact algorithms or meta-heuristic methods.

When performing project planning activities, the manager will attempt to schedule certain tasks
simultaneously. When more resources such as machines or people are needed than are available, or
perhaps a specific person is needed in both tasks, the tasks will have to be rescheduled concurrently
or even sequentially to manage the constraint. Project planning resource leveling is the process of
resolving these conflicts. It can also be used to balance the workload of primary resources over the
course of the project[s], usually at the expense of one of the traditional triple constraints (time, cost,
scope).

CATEGORIES OF RESOURCES:

There are three categories of resources which are explain as follow

1. Labor
2. Materials
3. Equipment’s.

RESOURCE LEVELING TECHNIQUES:

Critical path: it is a common type of technique used by project managers when it comes to
resource leveling. 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, possibility 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.

WHAT DOES RESOURCE LEVELING ACCOMPLISH?

There are two reasons to perform resource leveling:

 1. Reduce project cost
Project scheduling techniques will minimize the project duration, but it can be advantageous
to increase the project duration in order to smoothen out the resource usage.For example, if a
project requires 2 laborers for 10 days, followed by zero laborers for 10 days, perhaps the
project cost can be reduced by lengthening the schedule slightly, to allow for 1 laborer for 20
days.
2. Ensure a realistic schedule
Sometimes a resource is needed elsewhere, making the assigned duration for a task
unachievable.  The resource becomes overextended during that time and cannot perform the
two tasks simultaneously.  In this case, the resource usage must be smoothened by increasing
the task duration.For example, an excavator requires an operator to carry out an excavation. 
But if the operator needs to get out of the machine and perform surveying during that time,
the excavation task will need to be extended or the project schedule will not be achievable,
and the excavator is idle during that time (costing the project more money).
WHY LEVEL RESOURCES?
 When the contractor adds the daily total demand for a specific resource for all activities he
must provide the required amount, or work will be delayed.
 Leveling may also be necessary for an expensive piece of equipment.
 The main idea of resource leveling is to improve work efficiency and minimize cost during
the life of the project.

LEVELING RESOURCES IN A PROJECT

 Resource leveling is a mathematically complex process.
 The resource-leveling method is called the minimum moment algorithm.
 It is discussed by Robert B. Harris (1978) in his classic textbook, Precedence and Arrow
Networking Techniques for Construction

Figure 1 Resource Profile

Example
Smoothing/Leveling

 Let us program activity F to start by its late start day which is day 17.
 And activity I to start by day 14.
 The resulting resources aggregation histogram will be as follows:
Smoothing/Leveling

 Let us program activity E to start by its late start time.

 So its resources demand starts with its Late start date.
 The resulting resource aggregation and histogram will be as follows: