What Is Resource Leveling?

Resource leveling is a technique in project management that involves smoothing out the distribution of resources in a project to ensure their optimal use. It is often used when resources are over-allocated or under-allocated in certain periods of the project. Here are the steps to understand it:

1. Understanding the Concept: Resource leveling is all about balance. It's a process used to examine unbalanced use of resources (usually people or equipment) throughout the project lifecycle and re-allocate as needed to achieve balance.

2. Identifying Over-Allocation: The first step in resource leveling is to identify periods of over-allocation. This is when more resources are assigned to tasks than are available.

3. Re-allocating Resources: Once over-allocation is identified, the next step is to re-allocate resources. This could mean delaying tasks, splitting tasks, or assigning additional resources to tasks.

4. Monitoring and Adjusting: After re-allocation, it's important to monitor the project to ensure that resources are being used effectively. If over-allocation occurs again, the process is repeated.

5. Benefits: Resource leveling can help to avoid resource over-allocation, reduce downtime, and increase efficiency. It can also help to reduce costs, as it can prevent the need for overtime or the hiring of additional resources.

6. Drawbacks: However, resource leveling can also extend the project schedule and can be complex to implement, especially in large projects with many resources. It requires careful planning and management.