HKSM

A scheduling technique that resolves resource overallocations by shifting activity start and finish dates to keep usage within capacity. It respects resource availability and calendars and can extend the overall timeline or change the critical path. Use it to produce a workable, realistic schedule.

Key Points

• Balances workload so no resource is assigned beyond its availability at any time.
• May delay activities, change float values, and create a new or additional critical path.
• Uses resource calendars, maximum units, and priority rules to decide which activities move.
• Often performed after a logic-driven schedule is built and before baselining.
• Executable by scheduling software or done manually for small networks.
• Applied iteratively as estimates, resources, and constraints evolve.
• Different from resource smoothing, which tries to stay within existing float without extending the timeline.

Purpose of Analysis

The goal is to convert a logical schedule into one that is actually achievable with the people and equipment available. It protects team health, reduces firefighting, and stabilizes delivery dates.

• Eliminate resource overallocations and conflicts across concurrent activities.
• Align planned work with real capacity and calendars.
• Expose schedule trade-offs that require decisions on scope, staffing, or sequencing.
• Improve predictability by reducing start-stop multitasking and unplanned task switching.

Method Steps

• Detect conflicts: review resource usage histograms or over-allocation reports for peaks.
• Set leveling parameters: time period (day/week), resources to level, and whether splitting is allowed.
• Establish priority rules: by total float, activity priority, dependencies, deadlines, or risk.
• Apply leveling: run the tool’s leveling function or manually shift lower-priority activities.
• Review impacts: check project finish date, milestone slippage, float changes, and new critical activities.
• Adjust plan: consider alternate resources, resequencing, crashing, or fast-tracking if slippage is unacceptable.
• Communicate and iterate: align stakeholders, then repeat as estimates or assignments change.

Inputs Needed

• Activity list with durations and dependencies.
• Resource assignments, skills, and maximum availability (units).
• Resource and project calendars, including holidays and shifts.
• Activity priorities, constraints, and required deadlines.
• Existing schedule data (early/late dates, total and free float).
• Organizational policies for overtime, splitting, and work-in-progress limits.

Outputs Produced

• Leveled start and finish dates for activities.
• Updated resource usage profiles showing balanced workloads.
• Revised float values and possibly a changed critical path.
• Updated schedule model data and assumptions for the schedule baseline.
• Change requests if key milestones or budgets are impacted.
• Risk updates related to delays, handoffs, or added overtime.

Interpretation Tips

• If overall duration extends, evaluate options: add capacity, reduce scope, crash, or accept later dates.
• Check milestones with external commitments and negotiate before baselining.
• Watch for new near-critical paths introduced by leveling.
• Use histograms and heatmaps to confirm peaks are smoothed to within capacity.
• Document the leveling rules used so results are reproducible across iterations.
• Remember: leveling honors resource limits first, even if it means moving dates; smoothing stays within float.

Example

Task A and Task B each need the same database engineer for two days and were planned to run in parallel. The engineer is only available 100% to one task at a time.

• Before: A and B both start Monday, causing a 200% assignment on the engineer.
• After leveling by total float: A remains Monday–Tuesday, B shifts to Wednesday–Thursday, pushing a downstream test by two days.
• Result: No overallocation, a small delay absorbed by available float; if no float exists, the project finish moves by two days.

Pitfalls

• Relying on default software priorities that move the wrong activities.
• Ignoring critical external deadlines during leveling.
• Allowing excessive task splitting that increases setup time and risk.
• Leveling without accurate calendars or max units, leading to false confidence.
• Continuous re-leveling without change control, causing date churn.
• Confusing smoothing with leveling and expecting no timeline impact.

PMP Example Question

After developing the network schedule, you notice two critical activities share the same specialist next week, exceeding availability. What should you do first?

1. Crash the two activities by adding overtime to both.
2. Apply resource leveling using agreed priority rules and calendars.
3. Fast-track the activities by running them in parallel.
4. Reduce scope of both activities to meet the dates.

Correct Answer: B — Apply resource leveling using agreed priority rules and calendars.

Explanation: The immediate issue is an overallocation. Leveling addresses capacity conflicts within the schedule model before considering cost or riskier options like crashing or fast-tracking.