HKSM
Fast Tracking
A schedule shortening technique where work that would normally occur one after another is overlapped, running some activities or phases in parallel for part of their duration.
Key Points
- Used to compress the schedule without changing project scope.
- Increases risk of rework and coordination issues due to overlapping dependent tasks.
- Best applied to discretionary (soft) dependencies where logic can be adjusted safely.
- Different from crashing: fast tracking overlaps work; crashing adds resources to shorten critical tasks.
Example
A construction project overlaps foundation completion with the start of framing on completed sections, allowing framing to begin before the entire foundation is finished.
PMP Example Question
A project manager wants to reduce the timeline without increasing resource costs. They propose starting system testing while development of later modules is still in progress. What technique are they using?
- Crashing
- Resource leveling
- Rolling wave planning
- Fast tracking
Correct Answer: D — Fast tracking
Explanation: Overlapping testing with ongoing development runs activities in parallel to shorten the schedule, which is fast tracking; it does not inherently add resources like crashing.
