One of the most effective ways to optimally reduce the planned duration of a project is to use the schedule compression method. For example, fast-tracking is a popular schedule compression technique in which steps within the original plan are performed in parallel rather than sequentially. Larson and Gray (2018) assert that the main advantages of the fast-tracking method are simplicity, flexibility, and efficiency. Thus, as a result of applying this method, it is possible to form quite effective solutions to optimize costs.
Based on my life experience, I am convinced that this schedule compression technique is used in medicine. After some medical operation, I was discharged from the hospital without a postoperative stay in the hospital ward. Efficient and reliable fast-tracking criteria have been developed that allow anesthesiologists to quickly assess a patient’s suitability for direct discharge to a lowering unit. Accordingly, fast-tracking allows for early dismissal of eligible patients, which increases perioperative efficiency and throughput after outpatient surgery. As for me, since I did not have to be in the hospital, it improved my psychological state.
This method can be applied in both professional and personal spheres. For example, if the wall needs to be painted, having previously primed it, then initially, the priming and painting work is planned to be done sequentially. However, if the wall is large, the performer can start painting it without waiting for the end of the priming work, after a time sufficient for the primer to dry. This will shorten the duration of the project but may lead to a reallocation of resources or the purchase of a more expensive primer that dries faster. Thus, the key disadvantage of this method is the violation of the worked-out technology of performance, which means higher risks and more outstanding efforts to organize and control.
The use of fast-tracking as a method for optimizing task performance has other limitations. Clark (2017) notes that this method is only applicable when activities can overlap to shorten project duration. In this regard, an example of unsuccessful fast-tracking can be the construction of a building foundation prior to the preparation of all architectural drawings. In this case, fast-tracking can lead to improvements and increased risk. This method may require the execution of work without ready-made detailed information, such as drawings. An equally striking example of fast-tracking can be the simultaneous start of preparation of technical specifications and software development, which also implies significant risk. The project schedule calculated using similar methods does not take into account the need for resources. In real projects, resources are limited, which can lead to the impossibility of fulfilling the calculated work schedule. In such cases, the project team is forced to finalize the plan. Therefore, fast-tracking is a perfectly viable practice that can be successful, provided the risk is assessed correctly. Otherwise, the use of this method in order to optimize the work on the project may fail.
References
Clark, T. A. (2017). Project management for planners. Routledge.
Larson, E.W. & Gray, C. F. (2018). Project management: The managerial process (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.