Review the information in the textbook and the following online article on Crashing in Project Management. After reviewing the material and reflecting on the content, write a paper that addresses the following questions:
- What is “project crashing”?
- When might it be appropriate to utilize project crashing?
- What are the potential downfalls of project crashing?
- Have you seen it used at your place of employment? If so, to what extent was it successful?
- What would you recommend as the first/best alternative to project crashing?
The paper should be well-written and meet the following requirements:
- 2-3 pages in length (excluding title and reference pages).
- Formatted according to the CSU-Global Guide to Writing and APA.
- Include at least three references from peer-reviewed articles. The CSU-Global Library is a good place to find peer-reviewed articles.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
This paper aims to provide an in-depth understanding of project crashing, its appropriateness, potential downfalls, and first/best alternative to project crashing to meet the project deadlines efficiently. The paper will also discuss the success rate of using project crashing in employment places where it is practiced.
Answer:
1. Project crashing refers to a technique used to shorten project duration by compressing the work schedule by working overtime, adding more workforce, and/or using more advanced technologies. The primary aim of project crashing is to meet project deadlines and avoid delays.
2. Project crashing is appropriate when the project’s schedule is behind, and there is a need to bring it back on track. When the project is on a tight deadline and the project team cannot increase the duration, project crashing becomes an effective tool to reduce the duration. However, project managers must evaluate the cost of crashing before making a final decision to avoid incurring additional expenses.
3. The potential downfalls of project crashing include increased costs, compromised quality of the project’s deliverables, and low morale of the project team. The increased cost is due to the additional workforce, overtime pay, and the use of advanced technologies. The compromised quality is due to the project team being overworked, leading to mistakes and oversights. Lastly, the project team may feel overworked, resulting in low morale, which can negatively affect the project’s outcome.
4. Yes, I have seen project crashing used in my place of employment, and it was successful to some extent. The project team brought back a delayed project on track by adding more resources, but it increased the project’s cost significantly.
5. The first/best alternative to project crashing is to evaluate the project schedule and determine if it is realistic. If the timeline is unrealistic, adjusting the schedule is more effective than project crashing, which may increase the project’s cost and diminish the quality of the project’s deliverables. Project managers can also consider using fast-tracking, where overlapping project activities are performed, resulting in a shorter project duration.
Conclusion:
Project crashing is an effective tool for bringing delayed projects back on track, but it should be used with caution since it can result in increased project costs, diminished quality, and low morale of a project team. Project managers must evaluate the appropriateness of project crashing before making a final decision. If project crashing is not the appropriate tool, adjusting the schedule and fast-tracking are first/best alternatives, respectively.
