Project Crashing in Project Management: Definition & Best Practices

Project Crashing in Project Management: Definition & Best Practices

Project crashing is a method of reducing the duration of a project by reducing the time of one or more tasks. It is done by increasing the resources to the project, which adds to the cost of the overall project. The primary objective of project crashing is to shorten the project while also keeping costs at a minimum. It is made easier by project management software with scheduling tools, such as ProjectManager, which can build a project schedule in a matter of minutes and filter for the critical path. Project crashing is a term used in project management to refer to spending more money to get things done faster.

It can refer to pinpointing the critical path, providing greater resources there, or reviewing the critical path to see if there are any activities that can be shortened by an influx of resources. Fast tracking is another method for truncating your schedule, but it is important to analyze its feasibility and risk before taking it. When a project is already over-budget and doesn't have funds, fast tracking is the likely option. Project crashing is a last resort and not without risks. It is important to consider the tasks you're looking to crash in the critical path, the length of the tasks, and the resources available.

It is also important to avoid crashing at the end of the project when it is becoming clear you're not going to hit your target. Project crashing is most effective earlier in the timeline when a project is less than halfway done.