Project Management and Evaluation

Term Report

Resource Leveling
Theoretical Background & Context:
With the passage of time more and more organizations are becoming project oriented. For this
they have hired project managers to the run the projects for them. One of the key aspects that is
of utmost importance for project managers is Scheduling. Scheduling allows them to plan given
the limited resources available. Understanding the scheduling process and being able to manage
all deviances is a trait of a good project manager. One of the most used techniques for scheduling
is the Critical Path Method. The essence of the CPM includes precedence logic amongst
activities followed by a through calculation of Earliest Start (ES), Earliest Finish (EF), Latest
Start (LS) & Latest Finish (LF). All of these calculations are on the basis on the forward and
backward pass that are an integral part of CPM. Using the calculated figures the total float and
the free floats are calculated for the complete project and individual activities.

Figure 1 Critical Path Method

For efficient scheduling it is vital for the project manager to understand the resource constraints
at hand to be able to efficiently manage the scheduling of the project. The three types of resource
constraints that a project manager needs to keep in mind for proficient scheduling are
People
Materials
Equipment
People constraint covers the human resources aspect. For varying skill requirements, team
members are required to ensure the timely progression of the project
Material constraint includes all physical resources required to ensure project completion on
time. Various project failures have been associated with delays in material obtainability.
Equipment constraint refers to the availability of the appropriate equipment to deliver the
project requirements.

Resource leveling, is an optimization technique that enhances the use of resources using the
demand and supply. The demand is balanced with the supply of the respective resources to create
a schedule for maximizing the utility out of the resources available. Projects are faced with
various resource constraints due to various reasons which may include parallel projects, very
specific skill sets required by employees or even time and cost factors. Over time, various
software and techniques have surfaced for resource allocation which are used by project
managers to allocate resources to their project and thereby schedule work accordingly. The basic
challenge for the project manager becomes to plan the resources accordingly. Resource leveling
allows for a deviation in the start and end times of the project to be able to accommodate the
resources available. Often resource leveling and resource smoothing are interchangeably used. It
is the process by which it is ensured that the demand for the resource does not exceed the supply
of the resource.

Figure 2 Resource Leveling

Critical Analysis
Resource leveling, a technique in which the start and finish dates are adjusted based on resource
constraints with the goal of balancing demand for resources with the available supply.1
There are two types of resource leveling. First one involves completion of project on time
irrespective of the resources being utilized. Second is about finishing the project using only the
resources available in hand. The drawback of the first option is costs can be stretched to add on
additional resources to the project. Whereas for the second option there is a risk of the time
duration of the project getting stretched in order to obtain the appropriate resources requires to
complete the project.
Initially, the mathematical approaches were used to solve the resource-leveling problems
because they can provide optimal solutions to the problem at hand. Nonetheless, these methods
become impractical when the size of project network reaches a considerably large number.2
Overall, scheduling and resource leveling allows project managers to efficiently plan resources at
hand and make the right decisions with regards to the time and cost constraints that they are
faced with. Numerous researches have been conducted for resource leveling techniques.
Resource leveling is most widely used in the construction industry worldwide. In construction
projects where human resource, equipment and money are the key resource requirements, there
are usually fluctuations in resources. This can result in issues related to costs, as hiring and
laying off workers for a short period of time can be costly for the contractors. Moreover, hiring
resources and keeping them to meet the demand during peak can also result in lower profits as
resources would be idle during the low demand period. The demand is balanced off in
accordance to the supply of the resources.
Having such a changing and complex environment any schedule must be subject to continuous
revision to remain in line with project status. Previously construction scheduling had been
classified as deterministic & non deterministic. Deterministic methods included techniques such
as Critical Path Method (CPM) in which activity duration is pre-determined & fixed throughout
the scheduling. CPM has widely been criticized for its inability to manage with arising
uncertainty in projects of construction.
1989 onwards, various studies were conducted to study the real-life scheduling problems to come
up with an alternate solution. Researchers included, Easa (1989), Leu et al (2000), Kastor and
Sirakoulis (2009), Jian and Shi (2005), Kim and Graza (2005), Najafia et al (2009) and many
more. Some researchers like Najafia and Jiang and Shi have developed algorithms as part of their
research to solve the challenges at hand. Whereas others have used other techniques like CPM
(Kim and Graza) and other methods for resource allocation. Kim et al (2005) took his research to
the next level whereby he suggested a hybrid algorithm to solve resource constrained multiple
project scheduling problem. In 2006, Buddhakulsomsiri and Kim, suggested a solution of
splitting activities when resources are limited.

1
A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). 5th Edition
2
Y. Liu, S. Zhao, X. Du, and S. Li, Optimization of resource allocation in construction using genetic algorithms, in Proceedings of the
International Conference on Machine Learning and Cybernetics (ICMLC '05), vol. 2, pp. 34283432, August 2005
The genetic algorithm-based multiresource leveling model was developed through MS Excel.
The module automatically calculates the start and the finish times of an activity at each unit after
its duration and production rate are calculated. The principles of optimum crew size and natural
rhythm provided the basis for the proposed model. It produces a work schedule in which
resource allocation is automatically performed to provide a continuous and uninterrupted use of
resources. Once LOB is developed and implemented, resource leveling is performed according to
the principle of optimum crew size that makes use of a utility curve, which shows that
productivity will suffer if the crew size varies from the planned/optimum crew size.

It is very important to understand that the project management tools support the project manager,
but do not perform the project management instead. The service of customization of an existing
tool or development of a system specifically for the company needs can be also considered a
project management service.

Case Study
A very basic example to understand resource leveling would be of a construction project. There
could be two scenarios as described below.
Scenario A
The project is a time oriented one and cannot be delayed any further. The current resources
dedicated are 15 and each is fully utilized. As per the current rate of completion the project
would take 50 weeks to complete whereas the requirement is to have it completed within 42
weeks. In such a scenario the assumption at hand that we take is that resources are unlimited and
can be utilized fully. The respective project manager would make use of resource leveling and
utilize more resources such that the revised schedule with the additional resources ensures that
the project completion timeline of 42 weeks is met.
Scenario B
This project is one with a resource constraint. Currently 15 individuals are deployed on the
project and the project completion timeline is 42 weeks. The project manager can only use 10
resources and he has to let go off 5 resources. Once that decision is made the project manager is
in a situation whereby 10 of his workers have work of about 12 hours to be completed within an
8 hour work day. The project manager makes use of resource leveling and allocates work such
that no individual has to complete more than 8 hours of work a day. This delays the project
completion date from 42nd week to 50th week.
Below is a graphical snapshot of the impact of resource leveling.

Before Resource Leveling After Resource Leveling

9.5 10
Hours Worked

Hours Worked
9 8
6
8.5
4
8 2
7.5 0
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 6
Staff Staff

Relavance to Pakistani Industry

In terms of project management, Pakistan is comparatively very new and rather immature. Over the
passage of time there has been significant growth towards project management and more and more
organizations are adopting it. Given the external and uncontrollable uncertainities a lot of the amazing
tools and techniques are not used in Pakistan. One such technique is of resource leveling. However an
interesting element that we came across while questioning individuals about it from different
organizations and different industries was that people know about this technique but they do not refer to
this as resource leveling. Some refered to it as resource management, constraint management and many
more. The technique of resource leveling was also found being used in warehousing industry to manage
the impact of seasonality which results in patches of intense work schedules of workers throughout the
year.
Even the industries that widely make use of project management tools and techniques in Pakistan like Oil
& Gas, FMCG and construction lack the application of resource leveling. Resource leveling, is therefore
recommended for use in Pakistan. The part time use of additional resources may help add to the economic
benefit of the country by creating jobs for the unemployed and encourage unskilled labour to progress
towards a skill to get these part time jobs.

Conclusion
At a point in time resource leveling was considered a very vague topic but there has been extensive
research on the subject over time. Multiple researchers have covered various aspects to increase
efficiency of the technique and there are various tools available nowadays that help complete resource
leveling for project managers. Resource leveling will continue to evolve as time progresses and we hope
to see industries widely adopt it for optimization of resources for the benefit of the organizations.
References
1. A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). 5th Edition

2. Y. Liu, S. Zhao, X. Du, and S. Li, Optimization of resource allocation in construction

using genetic algorithms, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Machine
Learning and Cybernetics (ICMLC '05), vol. 2, pp. 34283432, August 2005

3. Misty Faucheux; edited by: Michele McDonough. What Is Resource Leveling?

http://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-management/14644-what-is-resource-leveling/

4. Resource Leveling, Term Definition. http://glossary.tenrox.com/Resource-

Leveling.htm

5. Atilla Damci, David Arditi and Gul Polat. Resource Leveling in Line-of-Balance
Scheduling. Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering. Volume 28, Issue 9,
pages 679692, October 2013

6. Rita Mulcahys PMP Exam Prep. 7th Edition

7. Hong-Hai Tran And Nhat-Duc Hoang. A Novel Resource-Leveling Approach for

Construction Project Based on Differential Evolution. Department Of Technology And
Construction Management, Faculty Of Building and Industrial Construction , National
University Of civil Engineering , Hindawi Publishing Corporation. Journal of
Construction Engineering. Volume 2014, Article ID 648938, 7 pages,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/648938

8. Tarek Hegazy. OPTIMIZATION OF RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND LEVELING

USING GENETIC ALGORITHMS. JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING
AND MANAGEMENT / MAY/JUNE 1999
http://kisi.deu.edu.tr/guzin.kavrukkoca/BISMaster/ResourceLevelingUsingGeneticAlgori
thms.pdf

9. A hybrid approach to quantitative software project scheduling within agile frameworks.

Michael Jahr, European University of Applied Sciences (EUFH), Department for
Industrial Management, Neuss, Germany

10. Construction Scheduling Using the Constraint Satisfaction Problem Method. By:
Lorterapong, Pasit; Ussavadilokrit, Mongkol. Journal of Construction Engineering &
Management. Apr2013, Vol. 139 Issue 4, p414-422. 9p. 9 Diagrams, 5 Charts. DOI:
10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000582.

11. Efficient Managing of Complex Programs with Project Management Services. Marina
Stoshikj, Natalia Kryvinska & Christine Strauss. Global Journal of Flexible Systems
Management (March 2014) 15(1):2538. DOI 10.1007/s40171-013-0051-8
 12. Multiresource Leveling in Line-of-Balance Scheduling. Atilla Damci; David Arditi,
M.ASCE; and Gul Polat

13. Resource leveling scheduling by an ant colony-based model. Mohsen Garmsiri* and
Mohammad Reza Abassi. Garmsiri and Abassi Journal of Industrial Engineering
International 2012, 8:7

Appendix:
Multi-resource Leveling in Line-of-Balance Scheduling
Author Atilla Damci1; David Arditi, M.ASCE2; and Gul Polat3
Date September 2013
Document Journal of Construction Engineering & Management ASCE
Key Words Line-of-balance; Multiresource leveling; Genetic algorithm; Cost and schedule
The most controllable factor in handling a project is the effective utilization of
the resources. That is what going to differentiate 1 Project from the other with
similar deliverables and availability of resources. Resource management is the
key factors in developing dependable project and cost schedules. Two primary
approaches used for resources management are: Resource allocation and resource
leveling respectively.

Minimizing project duration with available constraints on resources is core

objective of resource allocation. Resource leveling also helps dealing with
minimizing fluctuations in resource utilization with in the approved project
duration.

The main purpose of this study include:

- Defining basic principles used in multi-resource leveling in LOB
Short methodology
Description - Developing a genetic algorithm-based model for leveling multiple
resources in LOB schedules.
The genetic algorithm-based multiresource leveling model was developed
through MS Excel. The module automatically calculates the start and the finish
times of an activity at each unit after its duration and production rate are
calculated. The principles of optimum crew size and natural rhythm provided the
basis for the proposed model.

It is to develop self-reliant algorithm based multi-resource leveling model which

can be used for effective scheduling through Line-of-balance (LOB)
methodology. It produces a work schedule in which resource allocation is
automatically performed to provide a continuous and uninterrupted use of
resources. Once LOB is developed and implemented, resource leveling is
performed according to the principle of optimum crew size that makes use of a
utility curve, which shows that productivity will suffer if the crew size varies
 from the planned/optimum crew size.

The principle of natural rhythm that allows shifting the start times of an activity
forward or backward at different units of production by changing the number of
crews employed. When applied to the LOB schedule of a pipeline project that
was used to illustrate the model, it was observed that the proposed multi-resource
leveling model provided a smoother resource utilization histogram while
maintaining optimum productivity.

It is important to understand the principles of optimum crew size and natural

rhythm as linear scheduling methods are based on the LOB methodology. In
LOB, the principle of optimum crew size assumes that the highest productivity
can be achieved as long as an activity is performed in a unit of production by a
crew of optimum size. Any crew that is composed of fewer or more workers is
bound to result in lower productivity. The principle of natural rhythm keeps the
crews working continuously without idle time.

The second module of the model deals with resource leveling through an add-in
called Evolutionary Solver that allows the application of genetic algorithms to
perform resource leveling.

The constraints for the model are specified in the third step. The first constraint
ensures that the earliest change in the number of crews can be accommodated
only after the first crew moves to its next destination

When the required information is input, the scheduling module model

automatically plots an LOB schedule and a combined weighted resource
histogram. The module is capable of performing multiresource leveling
efficiently. The proposed model automatically generates the LOB schedule and
the resource histograms after resource leveling. Each activitys duration in a unit
is calculated by using the information for productivity, optimum crew size, and
daily working hours.

Efficient and effective resource management is the key to success in any Project.
Inappropriate use resources can affect the reliability of the project schedule. This
tool really can help the project manager or organizations to have control over
resource allocation.

Challenges:
This model can be inefficient on large-scale problems with too many variables
because it may consume too much computer time to find the optimal solution and
in some cases, may not be able to find the solution.
Misc. Ideas
This requires a lot of focus on extracting, populating and reviewing data. The
data is based on some assumptions and variables which can be changed. So one
can miss the big picture while just focusing on the available information.
 Based on above there is a lot of data to analyze which can really suppress the
creativity of the individual to manage resources.

It is recommended for organizations with geographically diverse project locations

and with limitation on systems and processes.
URL Athens. Article attached.
(Link)
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Multi-resource Leveling in Line-of-Balance Scheduling

Author Mohsen Garmsiri & Mohammed Reza Abbasi
Date 24th July 2012
Document Journal of Industrial Engineering International 2012, 8:7
Key Words Ant colony optimization - Resource leveling - Visibility function
Resource allocation is a problem that has been faced by many at the time of
scheduling. In order to overcome these challenges various researchers have
come up with various models.

1989 onwards, various studies were conducted to study the real-life scheduling
problems to come up with an alternate solution. Researchers included, Easa
(1989), Leu et al (2000), Kastor and Sirakoulis (2009), Jian and Shi (2005), Kim
and Graza (2005), Najafia et al (2009) and many more. Some researchers like
Najafia and Jiang and Shi have developed algorithms as part of their research to
solve the challenges at hand. Whereas others have used other techniques like
CPM (Kim and Graza) and other methods for resource allocation.

Kim et al (2005) took his research to the next level whereby he suggested a
hybrid algorithm to solve resource constrained multiple project scheduling
Short
problem. In 2006, Buddhakulsomsiri and Kim, suggested a solution of splitting
Description
activities when resources are limited.

The ant colony optimization, as per the name, is based on behavior of insects, in
particular ants. Ants find the shortest route to and back from sources of food to
their nests. And once they find the food source, they leave a trail of a chemical
named pheromone. The chemical allows other ants to know the route to the
food and back home. When the next ant uses the same path based on the
pheromone left by one of the other ants it also leaves the same chemical behind
for other ends. Eventually the path is overloaded with chemical (pheromone)
presence for others ants to realize that this is the path to follow which decreases
the chances of the other ants using any other part. Using the analogy, the ant
colony optimization algorithm is a simulation using the process of how ants find
food and let others know to create a real life model to understand resource
levelling. The model has two main objectives.
 Identification of minimum time T
Minimize resource usage amount

Over other algorithm models, the advantage that the ant colony optimization
algorithm has is that it can be run continuously and adapt to changes in real time.
The basic ACO algorithm involves the following:

Ants choose the trail with the largest concentration of pheromone with
a certain probability p
For a whole colony following this behavior, the shortest path will be
much higher in pheromone concentration than the other paths. Then, the
probability of choosing any other paths will be very small

Projects face various deviations in terms of time and the costs associated and
resource levelling is an important tool to overcome those challenges. The paper
presents one of the tools, Ant colony optimization which is a means to level the
resources. The paper analyses the ant colony based model and its application in
detail. The journal concludes highlighting the importance of the model and
informing that the model will be further developed into a system so that it can
easily be adopted by professionals to resolve their real-life scheduling problems.
The model, albeit an interesting one, has a set of assumptions which create a set
Misc. Ideas of limitation for it. It can only be applied to projects that fit within its
assumptions.
URL http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2251-712X-8-7/fulltext.html
(Link)
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Efficient managing of complex programs with Project Management Services

Author Marina Stoshikj, Natalia Kryvinska, Christine Strauss
Date December 2013
Document Global Institute of Flexible systems Management 2013
Collaboration, Flexible complexity, management, Project management, Project
Key Words
phases, Project triangle service.
Project management can be offered as a service in different software terms and
management skills frames.

Open source examples provide even better understanding of the need of project
Short management as a service because the tool itself is on disposal at no cost, but the
Description client has costs for the service of functionality adjustments.

One thing is sure when speaking about developments in the software industry
advancement and improvement are always possible.
Due to the market developments and competition increase, the project-based
workload in organizations is increasing, even in companies that were traditionally
not working in this way.

With this the need for appropriate project management system is increasing.

That is why the internal analysis of the company and knowledge of the business
needs is prerequisite for successful selection and tool implementation.

As the broader picture of integrated projects for attainment of the strategic

objectives is essential for long-term profitability and sustainability, the
characteristics of the program and portfolio management systems can be further
researched.

Our work discussed the project management concept because the one is basis for
right assessment of client needs and poses evaluation criteria that have to be
considered when deciding on a certain solution.

Nevertheless whether performing project management for another party, or

customizing a software solution for it, the service company has to work closely
with the client and know his practices, so that the value delivered is high.

Companies specialized in project management may manage a project for the

benefits of third party, using the client's technical knowledge and principles of
work.

Project management can be offered as a service by a third company specialized in

managing projects in different industries.

Companies that want to manage their projects internally need project

management training service and software solution with certain functionalities
and characteristics.

The solution must follow the company policies in regard to resources, time and
cost management, collaboration etc.

The same project management techniques and approaches are not necessarily
equally effective in different companies.

(2001) present some research direction suggestions by the construction industry

users: further integration of the systems with other tools and enterprise systems,
increase in the level of system flexibility, easier usage of the system and less
costly training options.

Due to companies' specifics, it is highly unlikely that an off-the-shelf solution is

 applicable everywhere.

However, it does not mean that the project management performance cannot be
actually done by other party and with it optimized.

It is very important to understand that the project management tools support the
project manager, but do not perform the project management instead.

The service of customization of an existing tool or development of a system

specifically for the company needs can be also considered a project management
service.
Challenges:

The diverse social and cultural background, level of experience and project
involvement of the different persons represents significant challenges for
effective communication.
Misc. Ideas
Project management has established itself as a universal set of techniques, which
finds applicability in any type of activity in any sector, nevertheless if the project
management is internally performed, or assigned to external service providers, it
has to manage the various tasks in a comprehensive manner
URL Athens. Article attached.
(Link)
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A Novel Resource- Leveling Approach for Construction Project Based on Differential Evolution
Author Hong-Hai Tran and Nhat-Duc Hoang
Date 21 May 2014
Hindawi Publishing Corporation, Journal of Construction Engineering, Volume
Document
2014
Heuristic Methods, Resource leveling based on differential evolution(RLDE),
Key Words
Mathematical techniques
In this paper, the researchers introduce a new approach for resource leveling
based on differential evolution, which is named as resource leveling based on
differential evolution (RLDE).
The paper first highlights the issues pertaining to resources in construction
projects, where managing resources is a critical part of the project. The
Short researchers stresses the fact that in such projects, contractors need to effectively
Description manage resources as stakes are high and failure to manage resources properly
can lead to project delays and financial losses to the owner.
In construction projects where human resource, equipment and money are the
key resource requirements, there are usually fluctuations in resources. This can
result in issues related to costs, as hiring and laying off workers for a short
period of time can be costly for the contractors. Moreover, hiring resources and
 keeping them to meet the demand during peak can also result in lower profits as
resources would be idle during the low demand period.
To cater this issue, resource leveling technique is used to minimize such
fluctuation in resources. This is achieved by moving activities which are non-
critical within their floats and thus not effecting the project duration.
The researchers then highlight the short comings in the existing techniques used
for resource leveling. It states that the mathematical techniques used for resource
leveling are not practical in cases where the size of project network is high.
Other techniques like heuristic methods which is used in software such as
Microsoft Project is also not always suitable they operate on certain rules based
on the type of the problem.
The paper further mentions that the use of evolutionary algorithm (EAs) has
gained some popularity in recent years in order to find a feasible solution to
resource leveling issues.
As a result of such limitations, the researchers stresses the superiority of
differential evolution DE which is a population based stochastic search engine
and thus proposes a new technique for resource leveling which is called resource
leveling based on differential evolution (RLDE). The aim of RLDE is to
minimize variations in resources required and utilized on a daily basis and to
achieve a maximum uniform level of resources without any issues of idle
resources. The researchers then attempted to demonstrate the superiority of
RLDE approach over Microsoft Project 2007 and other algorithms such as
genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) with
the help of an experiment result by using these techniques on a project consisting
of 44 activities.
Thus the researchers concluded that the new RLDE is a good approach to help
project managers deal with the resource leveling issues.
The short comings in the existing resource leveling tools and the comparison
Misc. Ideas between resource leveling based on differential evolution (RLDE), genetic
algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO)
URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/648938
(Link)
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Construction Scheduling Using the Constraint Satisfaction Problem Method

Author Pasit Lorterapong and Mongkol Ussavadilokrit
Date April 2013
Document Journal of Construction Engineering & Management ASCE
Construction project, Constraint, Scheduling, Constraint satisfaction problem,
Key Words
Alternative schedule, Construction, Constraint.
Due to the number and variety of project objectives, impact on masses &
Short aggressive involvement of stakeholders, a construction project faces many
Description constraints (internal/external); including out sources contract deadlines,
financial & managerial constraints, economic, legal and environmental,
resources allocation & especially scheduling.

Construction scheduling considers as one of the most challenging tasks due to

the fact that construction projects were done in external environment exposing to
the multiple unexpected events i.e. delays in material arrival, adverse weather &
unpredictable site conditions & varying labor productivity etc. The above events
can impact on activity executions of time & cost.

Having such a changing and complex environment any schedule must be subject
to continuous revision to remain in line with project status.

Previously construction scheduling can be classified as deterministic & non

deterministic. Deterministic methods include technique as Critical Path Method
(CPM) in which activity duration is pre-determined & fixed throughout the
scheduling, widely been criticized for its inability to manage with arising
uncertainty in projects.

The main objectives of this paper are:

1. Introduction to a new scheduling method to overcome limitation using CPM.
2. Provide Conceptual framework for CSP & to explain the way in which
Scheduling problems can be prototype using the constraint satisfaction model.
3. Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) as a decision making process.

CSP based scheduling method is able to meet with various types of constraints
involve in construction projects.

The paper employees various used techniques to make schedule which satisfy
project constraints & define CSP schedule performed in five stages as :
Stage 1: Identification & Define of Project Activities & Constraints.
Stage 2: Imposition of Project Constraints.
Stage 3: Backtracking in case of non-satisfying situation & decision for
Alternate schedule.
Stage 4: In case of non-satisfaction of constraint, relaxation is asked.
Stage 5: Realization of Plan & Decide Activity Start & Finish Time.

Example:
A general hospital decided to construct a new building right across its old
building. The construction has to be completed within twenty weeks and the
management has demanded that the old hospital building should be functional
during the construction. For the old building two gates are used to serve the
hospital while third gate is used as a spare gate. Decision with regards to gates
which will be in service during the construction is left at the project level.
Besides these managerial constraints, the technological constraints were given
separately in a table. The researcher than demonstrate the solution using CPM
and CSP approaches and shows a comparison between the two methods
 .
The example shows that CPM based method emphasized on pre-determine and
fixed logic based scheduling activities requiring planners to understand all the
constraints in the beginning of the scheduling process. Whereas on the other
hand CSP based method allow constraints to be incorporated in a flexible way.

In end researchers concludes that CSP based methods are more practical in
construction scheduling as compare to CPM which is at present in adequate for
real life constrains in construction projects. This research lays a foundation for
more research in future which can be expanded in other areas.

Misc. Ideas Advantage of CSP based scheduling methods over CPM in construction projects.
URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000582
(Link)
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A Hybrid Approach to Quantitative Software Project Scheduling Within Agile Frameworks

Author Micheal Jahr
Date July 2014
A Hybrid Approach to Quantitative Software Project Scheduling Within Agile
Document
Frameworks
Software project scheduling, quantitative project management, agile software
Key Words
development, scrum.
Software Industry differs from other engineering industries. Where other
industries follow a more traditional way of project management, in this case
following a sequential project management flow is rather unheard of.
Requirements evolve during the project time and most of the time cannot be
specified at the very start.

The research is based on software project management process and checked if

agile SPM is compatible with the traditional project management. And check if
quantitative methods can support the software projects in meeting tight schedules
and targets within the allocated budget on time.
Short
Description
Four requirements were targeted in the field of individual banking applications.
1) Deliverables should meet the date assigned, 2) projects should not be over
utilized, 3) adherence to agile and scum methods, and 4) process applicable to
both large and small projects.

In hybrid model, a schedule was computed and for every review meeting and was
used as a controlling tool, the scrum team experiences were incorporated in the
model. Till the project ended, the next iteration is computed with the exact same
process. The model was tested on four different projects with three scrum teams.
 The Hybrid model showed very good results as compared to the SCRUM model
in terms of cost and efficiency both. Which reflected that Agile and traditional
methods are not exactly incompatible.

The results indicated that using quantitative model for agile developments could
prove to be beneficial for project management.

Challenges:

Further research needs to be done. Other than that it will require more human
Misc. Ideas
resource as the software developers could not be overburdened.

URL Athens. Article attached.

(Link)
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