What is crashing and how does it relate to fast tracking?
Crashing and fast tracking are two project management techniques used to shorten the project schedule without changing the project scope. Here's how they compare:
Definition: Adding extra resources (labor, equipment, or costs) to critical path tasks to complete them faster.
Example: Hiring additional workers to finish a task in 3 days instead of 5.
Impact:
Reduces project duration
Increases project cost
May increase risk due to overloading or coordination issues
Definition: Performing tasks in parallel that were originally scheduled to be done sequentially.
Example: Starting construction before the final design is fully approved.
Impact:
Reduces project duration
Does not increase cost directly
Increases risk due to possible rework or coordination issues
Both are schedule compression techniques
Both focus on the critical path (tasks that directly affect project duration)
Often used together when a project is behind schedule or needs to finish earlier
Crashing = “more resources”; Fast Tracking = “more overlap”
Technique | Involves | Cost Impact | Risk Impact |
---|---|---|---|
Crashing | Add resources to speed up | Increases | Moderate |
Fast Tracking | Reorder to do tasks in parallel | Minimal (may cause rework) | High (due to overlaps) |
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