Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1

Project Management Questions

Name

Course

Tutor

Date
PROJECT MNAGEMENT 2

Project Management Questions

Question 1

Fast-tracking in project management defines the act of simultaneously running two activities

involved in a project simultaneously. Often, fast-tracking merely involves the rearrangement

of schedules in activity implementation and, as such, has no additional cost to the process. On

the other hand, crashing entails frantic efforts by a project manager to rush through the

completion of a project’s activities. Usually, crashing involves the use of additional financial

costs since the changes made are not necessarily limited to rescheduling. To reduce project

duration, crash in an effective way of minimizing time, and there are various processes that, if

implemented, could prove helpful ("Crash with confidence", 2020).

For instance, a project manager ought to establish the most cost-effective crash sequence to

achieve optimum results. In so doing, other processes involved include defining project logic,

adding a duration for each activity, and calculating the crash cost for each activity. Reducing

the number of project activities by focusing on the critical project path ensures minimized

durational resources while maintaining the project integrity regarding its efficacy. When the

window for durational rescheduling becomes shorter, a more radical approach is required.

The only realistic option lies in crashing the network to its crash limit, which requires the

injection of additional fiscal resources (Mabutas, 2020).

Question 2

Timing is an essential factor in project management, and subsequently, its subcomponents

like slack or float are quite important. During PM, two types of slacks manifest; total slack

and free slack. The former describes a situation whence an activity can be delayed without

impact on the finish durations for the whole project. On the other hand, free black defines the

allowance by which a project activity can be delayed without affecting the subsequent
PROJECT MNAGEMENT 3

activity. For the project manager, planning is an essential component of the job.

Consequently, time management is an essential factor, slacking, therefore, free and total are

consequential to the completion of a project and the financial implications that come with it.

Budgeting, resource allocation, and personnel identification are crucial aspects of project

management that rely on complex decisions of which slacking is a significant component

("Total Slack and Free Slack for Project Decisions - Advisicon", 2020).
PROJECT MNAGEMENT 4

References

Crash with confidence. (2020). Retrieved 16 September 2020, from

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/performing-crash-analysis-alternative-cost-

schedule-6750

Mabutas, Y. (2020). PMP® Exam Tip: Crashing & Fast Tracking explained. Retrieved 16

September 2020, from https://www.project-management-prepcast.com/free/pmp-

exam/tips/318-pmp-exam-tip-crashing-fast-tracking-explained.

Total Slack and Free Slack for Project Decisions - Advisicon. (2020). Retrieved 16

September 2020, from https://advisicon.com/total-slack-and-free-slack-for-project-

decisions/