What is Resource Leveling?

Resource leveling is a project management technique that resolves overallocation or scheduling conflicts by adjusting the project schedule or reallocating tasks. The goal is to balance the demand for resources with their availability without overburdening team members or exceeding resource capacity. This method helps ensure that critical resources, such as personnel, equipment, or time, are used efficiently and sustainably throughout a project’s lifecycle.

When implementing this approach, project managers may extend timelines, adjust task dependencies, or delay certain non-critical activities to align resource use with availability. Although this can affect the original schedule, it prevents burnout and bottlenecks that could risk project success. Scheduling tools like Gantt charts and critical path method analysis commonly use resource leveling.

Key Points

  • Resource leveling aims to align resource use with actual availability across a project.
  • Resource leveling often results in task start and end date changes, which may extend the project timeline.
  • The technique is beneficial when working with limited or shared resources.
  • It differs from resource smoothing, which maintains the original project timeline while optimizing resource use.
  • Project management software often includes features to automate and visualize resource leveling.

Related Terms

  • The critical path method helps identify essential tasks that directly impact the project duration, which can be affected when resource leveling is applied.
  • Resource smoothing is a related technique that adjusts resource allocation without changing the project’s end date.
  • Project managers often use a Gantt chart to visualize how task schedules shift during resource leveling.
  • The project schedule reflects any changes made as part of leveling, showing revised task timelines.
  • Leveling refines resource allocation, which determines how the project team distributes resources across tasks.

Resource Leveling: Example

Imagine a construction project where two major tasks require the same team of electricians during the same week. Since the electricians cannot be in two places simultaneously, the project manager uses resource leveling to delay one of the tasks to the following week. This change adjusts the timeline but ensures the team is used effectively without overloading individuals.

Resource Leveling: Best Practices

  • Review resource availability early in the planning phase to prevent future conflicts.
  • Use project management tools to simulate different leveling scenarios and their impact on the timeline.
  • Communicate changes clearly to all stakeholders when the schedule is adjusted.
  • Focus on maintaining productivity while preventing the overuse of key resources.
  • Combine this technique with regular progress monitoring to adapt as project conditions change.

Additional Resources

Resource Leveling - Mastering Project Human Resource Management: Effectively Organize and Communicate With All Project Stakeholders     Resource Leveling - The Resource Management and Capacity Planning Handbook: A Guide to Maximizing the Value of Your Limited People Resources

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