Fast tracking vs crashing, two project management techniques that can help you get your project done faster. But, what exactly are they and when should you use them?
Fast tracking is when you try to overlap tasks that would normally be done one after the other. It’s like trying to multitask on a project. Crashing is different. It’s when you add more resources to a task to try to finish it sooner. It’s like adding more people to a project to get it done faster.
Now, one thing to keep in mind is that crashing can be a bit more expensive than fast-tracking. But, if fast-tracking didn’t save you enough time, crashing might be the way to go.
Just remember, both fast-tracking and crashing should be used on important projects, like those on the critical path, in order to have a real impact on the project schedule.
Fast Tracking in Project Management
Fast tracking is a project management technique that allows for concurrent completion of tasks that would typically be completed sequentially. This can be done by rearranging the original schedule to overlap activities that can be performed simultaneously.
The goal of fast-tracking is to compress the schedule and meet deadlines, but it comes with increased risk as it can lead to rework or rearrangement of the project.
As a project manager, it’s important to weigh the benefits and risks of fast-tracking to determine if it’s a worthwhile approach for your project.
Example of Fast Tracking:
If you are building a school and the initial construction phase is coming to a close, the next step would be to begin the carpentry and electrical work.
However, upon reviewing the progress of the project, you realize that you are behind schedule. To ensure that the project is completed on time, you must take action to move faster.
One approach you can take is to review the activities for the carpentry and electrical work, and determine if they can be performed concurrently.
If so, you can implement fast-tracking by starting both tasks simultaneously, thus speeding up the schedule.
What is Crashing?
Crashing is a project management technique that is used to reduce the duration of a project by adding more resources or increasing the effort of the existing resources.
You can work it well by increasing the number of people working on the project, adding more equipment, or working overtime. The goal of crashing is to complete the project as quickly as possible, often in response to a tight deadline or a change in project requirements.
However, crashing comes with a cost. The additional resources required to crash a project can lead to increased expenses, which can be a significant factor to consider before implementing this technique. Unfortunately, crashing can also lead to increased risk, as the added pressure and tight deadlines can cause mistakes and oversights.
As a project manager, you’ll need to weigh the benefits and risks of crashing to determine if it’s a worthwhile approach for your project.
You should also consider the feasibility of crashing, as some projects may not be able to be shortened significantly with additional resources or increased effort.
Example of crashing:
If you are building a room, according to the original duration estimate, it will take two masons four days to complete it. To reduce the duration of this task, you could consider crashing by adding two more masons to complete the work in two days.
However, crashing is not always the best solution. In some cases, finding skilled resources can be difficult and time-consuming, and it may not be possible to bring in a new team and expect them to perform immediately. This could result in increased cost with little gain.
It’s important to carefully evaluate the situation before deciding to crash a project. Before taking any action, make sure to consider the cost, feasibility and the potential results of crashing to determine if it’s worth it.
Fast Tracking vs Crashing
Sometimes, things just don’t go according to plan and you find yourself needing to speed up a project. It’s just a fact of life in project management. And let’s face it, it’s usually the schedule that gets longer, not shorter. But when that happens, it can put a real damper on the project timeline.
One thing to keep in mind though, is that you don’t need to fast track or crash every single task. It’s only worth doing it for the tasks that are on the critical path. Because if you can’t shorten that, you’re not gonna make a dent in the overall schedule.
Key Differences:
1. Fast tracking and crashing are two project management techniques that are used to compress the project schedule.
2. The main difference between these two techniques is how they are implemented. In fast-tracking, activities are rescheduled to be performed partially or fully in parallel. In contrast, crashing involves adding extra resources to the activities to finish them early.
3. Another key difference is that fast-tracking doesn’t cost you extra money, while crashing does. Additionally, fast-tracking increases risks while crashing does not significantly.
4. When deciding which technique to use, you should consider the characteristics of the activities. You should use fast-tracking when activities can be overlapped to decrease their duration. On the other hand, you should use crashing on those activities where adding extra resources can decrease their duration.
When to Use Fast Tracking and Crashing?
You need to finish a project faster and you’re wondering what your options are. There are two ways to do this: fast-tracking and crashing.
Fast-tracking is when you try to overlap activities that would normally be done one after the other. It’s like trying to multitask on a project. Crashing is different. It’s when you add more resources to a task to try to finish it sooner. It’s like adding more people to a project to get it done faster.
Now, one thing to keep in mind is that crashing can be a bit more expensive than fast-tracking. But, if fast-tracking didn’t save you enough time, crashing might be the way to go.
Just remember, both fast-tracking and crashing should be used on important projects, like those on the critical path, in order to have a real impact on the project schedule.