Schedule Compression

Techniques

Fast Tracking and Crashing

Fast Track Cost

No cost increase, only risk increase

Crashing Cost

Always adds cost, sometimes shortens duration

same work, shorter timeline · two different levers

Before & After

how to read this

› Top bar is the original plan. Design then build, sequential, 14 days.
› Fast tracking starts the Build while Design is still wrapping up. Same people, same cost — but if Design changes, Build redoes work. Risk goes up.
› Crashingkeeps the sequence but throws more people at each activity. Both shrink. You pay more. Brooks' Law warns this caps out fast.
› PMI expects you to try fast tracking first. Crashing is the fallback when risk is unacceptable.

Fast tracking is risk-only. Crashing is cost-only. PMI expects you to exhaust the free option first unless risk is unacceptable.

Compressing a non-critical activity does not shorten the project. The exam tests whether you understand which path controls duration.

Doubling the team does not halve the duration. Coordination overhead limits the benefit and Brooks' Law can reverse it.

Running activities in parallel means downstream work might need to be redone if upstream assumptions change.

Fast track first

No cost, more risk. Always the first option PMI wants you to try.

Brooks' Law warning

Adding people to a late project can make it later. Crashing only helps if the activity is truly resource-bound.

Fast Tracking the Essay

You start editing while still writing the last paragraph. Risk: the conclusion might change and force re-edits. No cost.

Crashing the Essay

You pay your friend to help format citations. It costs you but saves time — if your friend is useful.

Pick the Critical Path Only

Helping your friend with their math homework does not finish your essay. Compress only what is on YOUR critical path.

Diminishing Returns

Adding three more friends just creates confusion and collisions. More resources do not always equal faster output.

Fast track first, crash second. Only the critical path matters.

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