REDUCING PROJECT DURATION
Chapter 9
reducing project duration
Chapter Outline
1. Rationale for Reducing Project Duration
2. Options for Accelerating Project Completion
A. Options When Resources Are Not Constrained
i. Adding Resources ii. Outsourcing Project Work iii. Scheduling Overtime iv. Establish a Core Project Team
v. Do It Twice—Fast and Correctly
B. Options When Resources Are Constrained
i. Fast-Tracking ii. Critical-Chain iii. Reducing Project Scope iv. Compromise Quality
3. Project Cost-Duration Graph
4. Constructing a Project Cost-Duration Graph
A. Determining the Activities to Shorten
B. A Simplified Example
5. Practical Considerations
A. Using the Project Cost-Duration Graph
B. Crash Times
C. Linearity Assumption
D. Choice of Activities to Crash Revisited
E. Time Reduction Decisions and Sensitivity
6. What if Cost, Not Time, Is the Issue?
A. Reduce Project Scope
B. Have Owner Take on More Responsibility
C. Outsourcing Project Activities or Even the Entire Project
D. Brainstorming Cost Savings Options
7. Summary
8. Key Terms
9. Review Questions
10. Exercises
11. Case: International Capital, Inc.—Part B
12. Case: Whitbread World Sailboat Race
13. Case: Nightingale Project—A
14. Case: Nightingale Project—B
15. Case: The “Now” Wedding—Part A
16. Case: The “Now” Wedding—Part B
Chapter Objectives
To understand how to use the critical path to reduce project duration
To explain alternative methods for crashing activities
To explain the risks associated with compressing or crashing a project
To recognize when a project manager should try for the optimum cost-duration.
Review Questions
1. What are five common reasons for crashing a project?
Reasons given could include:
Imposed deadline in which disfavor will be earned by not meeting superior’s deadline
Time to market competitive advantage
Realize benefits from incentive contracts
To make up for lost time and avoid contract penalties
Save extensive overhead
reducing project duration
Chapter Outline
1. Rationale for Reducing Project Duration
2. Options for Accelerating Project Completion
A. Options When Resources Are Not Constrained
i. Adding Resources ii. Outsourcing Project Work iii. Scheduling Overtime iv. Establish a Core Project Team
v. Do It Twice—Fast and Correctly
B. Options When Resources Are Constrained
i. Fast-Tracking ii. Critical-Chain iii. Reducing Project Scope iv. Compromise Quality
3. Project Cost-Duration Graph
4. Constructing a Project Cost-Duration Graph
A. Determining the Activities to Shorten
B. A Simplified Example
5. Practical Considerations
A. Using the Project Cost-Duration Graph
B. Crash Times
C. Linearity Assumption
D. Choice of Activities to Crash Revisited
E. Time Reduction Decisions and Sensitivity
6. What if Cost, Not Time, Is the Issue?
A. Reduce Project Scope
B. Have Owner Take on More Responsibility
C. Outsourcing Project Activities or Even the Entire Project
D. Brainstorming Cost Savings Options
7. Summary
8. Key Terms
9. Review Questions
10. Exercises
11. Case: International Capital, Inc.—Part B
12. Case: Whitbread World Sailboat Race
13. Case: Nightingale Project—A
14. Case: Nightingale Project—B
15. Case: The “Now” Wedding—Part A
16. Case: The “Now” Wedding—Part B
Chapter Objectives
To understand how to use the critical path to reduce project duration
To explain alternative methods for crashing activities
To explain the risks associated with compressing or crashing a project
To recognize when a project manager should try for the optimum cost-duration.
Review Questions
1. What are five common reasons for crashing a project?
Reasons given could include:
Imposed deadline in which disfavor will be earned by not meeting superior’s deadline
Time to market competitive advantage
Realize benefits from incentive contracts
To make up for lost time and avoid contract penalties
Save extensive overhead