Resource Scheduling Analysis Essay Paper

For this assignment, write a paper of 750-1,000 words in which you analyze the concept of resource scheduling and evaluating various methods used to schedule resources in project management.
Your analysis should include the following:
1. An analysis of the benefits and challenges associated with resource scheduling
2. A discussion of at least two methods used to schedule resources and examples of when each method would be most appropriate, given the scope of the project
Choose which method would be most appropriate for the project your CLC team selected and explain why you felt it was most appropriate.
You must include at least two additional sources, one of which must be a journal article, outside of your textbook, to support your analysis.
Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.

Resource scheduling analysis paper

Resource scheduling refers to the planned set of methodologies and actions applied within a project to ensure that resource assignment is efficiency in terms of cost, time and space. Efficient resource management ensures that resources are assigned to the project activities they are needed to complete. In this case, resources are considered as any energy input into the project to include facilities, rooms, machines, equipment and people. For that matter, resources scheduling remains an important step in project management (Llamas, ed Gracia & Mazadiego, 2017). It is particularly useful when resources are a constrained and yet the work capacity and resource availability are the primary factors for determining the project deadline. Overall, resource scheduling remains an important activity for helping the project manager to outline the completion times for assigned task, and helps with reporting the progress of the project (Kannimuthu, 2018). The present analysis evaluates the importance of resource scheduling, and identifies the most appropriate method for the CLC project.

The CLC project seeks to carry out improvement in a retail store. The project objective is to increase product offerings by 10% and increase annual sales by $5 million. Once these objectives have been achieved, the store’s management will open additional stores. Towards this end, four activities were identified as important. The first activity is to launch a new retain story that captures an additional customer base and improves profitability. The second activity is to engage in social responsibility activities targeted at low income families. The third activity is to grow business operations and increase sales. The final activity is to increase products turnover through reducing prices, promoting products, and marketing.

As earlier indicated, resource scheduling is an important activity that helps with ensuring that resources are efficiently handled to complete the project tasks within the allocated budget and on schedule. It allocates resources based on the project scope, required effort, capability and resource availability. It is important to note that resource scheduling must be got right otherwise the project could under- or over-allocate resources with negative impacts on transactions, satisfaction, trust and profitability (Gencosman et al., 2016).

Resource scheduling has been determined as a necessary activity for the project because it offers unique advantages. Resource Scheduling Analysis Essay Paper Firstly, it helps with structuring the project whereby a schedule helps to organize the project aspects to ensure that it is finished on time with minimal delays. Secondly, it helps with defining the project scope since it lists all the tasks to be performed, and whose completion will identify the project as completed. Thirdly, it helps with establishing deadlines since it matches the project scope with required effort thus helping with estimating time (Pasian, 2015). Fourthly, it helps with identifying the project constraints so that the manager can better plan on how to work around them as unforeseen problems. Fifthly, it helps with ensuring that tasks are effectively distributed since it establishes timelines that are matched to the available resources. Sixthly, it helps with resource distribution through identifying the required resources and how they can be distributed for efficiency. Seventhly, it helps with checking the availability of resources while exploring alternative resources. Eighthly, it helps with matching capabilities to resource availability and tasks. Finally, it helps with tracking the progress of the project in terms of resources used thus helping with timely delivery and cost efficiency. It is clear that resources scheduling is an important activity that helps with meeting the budget and deadlines. Although it is a complex process, it help in making better decisions, analyzing information, making better estimates, and identifying resource availability (Kloppenborg, 2015).

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

Although generally beneficial, resource scheduling presents four unique challenges. Firstly, it adds to the project costs since it requires specialized knowledge and software tools. The project may have to hire an individual with scheduling knowledge with the software used or costing money, and this adds to the project cost. Secondly, it is a complicated process that makes even the simplest projects more complicated. It tends to take a comprehensive approach to project management, this could add to the steps taken when fewer steps could also have the same results (Pasian, 2015). Thirdly, it reduces the project flexibility especially when resources are constrained. Delays are inevitable in virtually every project, especially when facing out of control situations such as weather interferences. Fourthly, having tight deadlines adds pressure and stress, particularly if unforeseen issues arise or if the deadline is too tight. Working under pressure and stress increases the potential for error as the team misses vital details and compromises quality to meet deadlines. Besides that, the tight deadlines increase the possibility of conflict (Kloppenborg, 2015).

There are two resource scheduling methods that can be applied in the CLC project. The first method is mathematical analysis that calculates the project dates based on the project scope. It makes use of either Critical Path Method (CPM) or Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT). CPM creates a tree diagram that identifies the different timelines for the project activities. The timelines can be used to schedule critical tasks for delivery to ensure that the overall project is not affected. It begins by identifying the project scope and tasks, estimates how long each task will take, then notes the dependencies between the tasks. PERT visualizes task flow in the project and estimates timelines with different levels of confidence as pessimistic, most-likely and optimistic timing. Both CPM and PERT present concern if there are uncertainties with the project deliverables and dependencies as the uncertainties negatively affect the path and time estimates (Halabuda, n.d.).

The second method is duration compression that is applied to shorten the project schedule, a particularly useful method if the project is running late and there is a need to adjust the schedule without affecting the scope. It may use either fast tracking or crashing. Fast tracking identifies the tasks that can be overlapped or completed simultaneously to speed up delivery. Although this approach speedup up delivery time, it creates opportunities for sacrificing quality and making costly mistakes as attention and resources are spread between different activities being conducted simultaneously. Crashing involves allocating additional resources to help with finishing the project earlier, such as adding overtime. Still, this approach presents a cost concern since the additional resources will increase the project cost (Halabuda, n.d.).

Of the two methods (mathematical analysis and duration compression), mathematical analysis would be most appropriate for the project. That is because it can be used to use the project scope to calculate the assumed start and finish dates, which would then be used to visualize critical paths and timelines. Duration compression is not appropriate for the project since it is targeted at projects running behind schedule with the intention of shortening the schedule without affecting the project scope (Halabuda, n.d.).

CLC Project Selection

Our Retail Store focuses on providing quality products and convenience to the community members. The goal of the store is to increase the offerings by 10 percent to assist in increasing annual sales. Increasing annual sales will help towards achieving the target $5 million in annual sales. If the store is successful, the additional stores will be opened. The project manager has the responsibility of managing the store planning, project development, in addition to providing the needed leadership.

Priority Analysis

• The first activity is to launch the retail store and provide a focus on capturing customer base and profitability. This will be achieved through advertising to gain popularity. In addition, customers will be given discounts as an incentive for customers to return and make referrals (Dose et al., 2019). This is in line with the store’s vision that is to be the leading retailer, as indicated by fiscal results and community improvement advocacy.
• The second project would be to expand another store to a new neighboring community and assist low-income families as a social responsibility. The vision and mission statements of the retail store focus on making the community a better place and community improvement advocacy. Expanding the store will not only provide convenience and quality to the customers but will also provide employment opportunities to the locals.
• Grow business operations, as indicated by increased sales. This will increase the profitability of the store and enable it to continue expanding and touching more lives within the community.
• The last goal would be increasing the turnover of products by reducing prices, promoting the products, and marketing. This will raise brand awareness, and also increase the customer base. Furthermore, reduced rates are likely to increase customer satisfaction and hence lead to customer retention and attract more (Hallencreutz & Parmler, 2019). The mission of the store is to offer the customers excellent prices and convenience.

References

Dose, B., Walsh, G., Beatty, S.E., et al. (2019). Unintended reward costs: the effectiveness of customer referral reward programs for innovative products and services. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci, 1(47), 438–459. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00635.

Hallencreutz J & Parmler J. (2019). Important drivers for customer satisfaction – from a product focus to image and service quality. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 9, 1-10.  Resource Scheduling Analysis Essay Paper