How resource leveling can help you manage your resources like a pro

Project plans change as surely as night follows day. Deadlines shift, staff call in sick, and deliveries get delayed. When hiccups happen, teams face burnout and delays that threaten to throw everything off track.

That’s where resource leveling comes in. Rather than being derailed by change, it helps managers stay flexible, balancing workloads by adjusting schedules and shifting tasks around. The goal is to avoid delays and overwork. Here’s how to get started with this project management essential.

What is resource leveling?

Resource leveling is a project management technique that involves adjusting dates and workloads so the project can be completed on time, with the resources (people, equipment, and budget) that are available.

Or, as Microsoft puts it, it’s “the act of taking a project with people assigned to a bunch of tasks, and making it so that they don’t have to work overtime.”

This might include delaying tasks, reallocating work, or extending deadlines so your workflow stays steady and sustainable. The ultimate goal is to complete a project while minimizing delays, bottlenecks, and overruns.

What are the benefits of resource leveling?

Resource leveling helps managers get maximum use out of their available resources. The goal is to minimize waste and resolve conflicts like over-allocation, delays, budget overruns, or the need to add or remove tasks. You can run it on individual projects or across multiple concurrent projects.

• Helps prevent burnout — Spreads work evenly so no one gets overwhelmed.
• Uses resources wisely — Ensures people, tools, and budgets aren’t overused or left idle.
• Keeps schedules realistic — Adjusts deadlines to match available time and effort.
• Reduces last-minute chaos — Avoids rushed work by planning ahead.
• Improves work quality — With steady workloads, teams can focus and do better work.
• Boosts team morale — A fair workload keeps people happier and more productive.

When to use resource leveling

Hopefully you won’t need it, but it’s a handy trick to know in certain situations.

1. When your resources are overloaded

If team members have too much on their plate, or you’ve scheduled a key tool for multiple jobs at the same time, resource leveling can help spread out the workload.

2. When deadlines are flexible

If your project doesn’t have a tight deadline, you can use resource leveling to create a more balanced schedule. Adjusting start and finish dates can help you create a sustainable workload that doesn’t feel rushed.

3. When you have limited resources

Some projects are tied to a fixed number of people, equipment, or budget. If hiring more staff or getting more tools isn’t an option, resource leveling helps you make the most of what you have by spreading out the work.

4. When tasks depend on each other

Often, certain tasks can’t start until others are done (aka ‘dependencies’). If a delay in one task causes issues for the whole project, resource leveling can rearrange the schedule to keep things moving along.

5. When unexpected delays happen

Even the best plans can hit bumps, like team members getting sick or supply chain problems. Resource leveling lets you adjust workloads and timelines as needed, so these hiccups don’t throw everything off.

6. When efficiency matters

If you want to boost productivity without overloading your team, resource leveling helps create a smooth workflow. By ensuring that people and tools are used well, you can avoid downtime and keep stress levels down.

Resource leveling techniques you need to know

When leveling your resources, you’ll do one of two things.

1. If your project doesn’t have time restrictions, you’ll shuffle tasks around so the overallocated resource — say, your designer — works on two tasks consecutively instead of simultaneously. Eventually, the work gets done, and your designer is happy because they don’t have to work overtime.
2. If there are time restrictions, then you’ll organize tasks so your team can work on them simultaneously by applying more resources (in this case, designers) to the job.

There are several techniques to help you balance workloads effectively:

• Critical Path Method (CPM)
• Critical Chain Method (CCM)
• Crashing
• Fast tracking

1. Critical Path Method (CPM)

The Critical Path Method (CPM) helps managers identify the sequence of tasks that directly impacts the overall project duration. These tasks are the “critical path”, and have zero “float”, meaning if they get delayed, the whole project will be delayed.

What it does:

CPM shows the shortest time needed to finish a project. By focusing on the tasks that can’t be delayed, it helps keep the project on track. It gives you a clear plan of which tasks to prioritize based on their dependencies.

How it works:

• List all the tasks and work out how long each one takes.
• Identify which tasks depend on others.
• Find the longest chain of dependent tasks to establish the critical path.
• Focus your resources on these critical tasks to keep them on schedule.

Example:

Think about building a house. You need to finish the design before buying materials and you can’t start site work until you have those materials. If the design takes too long, it holds up the entire project since it’s on the critical path.

Tip: Use CPM when you’re clear about your tasks and their order from the start. It’s great for projects that have tight deadlines and don’t allow for delays.

2. Critical Chain Method (CCM)

The Critical Chain Method (CCM) builds on the Critical Path Method, but also considers the limits of your resources. It recognizes that projects can fall behind not just from task delays but also from overloaded resources. CCM adds buffers to protect the critical path from slowdowns.

What it does:

CCM accounts for how available your resources are and adds extra time to lessen the chances of delays. This helps keep the project on track when resources are limited.

How it works:

• Identify the critical path as you would via the CPM.
• Check for resource conflicts — see if several tasks need the same resources at the same time.
• Add buffers — put extra time in certain spots to shield important tasks from potential delays.
• Keep an eye on these buffers and adjust based on how things are progressing.

Example:

In a software project, if multiple tasks need the same programmer, you can add time buffers to allow for delays without affecting the whole project, making sure the critical tasks stay flexible.

Tip: CCM is perfect for projects where people often have too much to do. The buffers are key — this method helps manage risks and keeps everything on schedule.

3. Crashing

Crashing is a method used to cut down project time by adding more resources to critical tasks. It can help you meet tight deadlines but will usually cost more or affect quality. So use it only in deadline emergencies.

What it does:

Crashing speeds up tasks by increasing resources, like adding more staff or equipment, allowing the team to complete critical tasks faster.

How it works:

• Identify tasks holding up the project or that are near the end of the critical path.
• Bring in extra resources, which could mean more workers, machines, or outside help.
• Check if the extra cost is worth it, especially regarding budget or quality.
• Once you add resources, figure out the new expected completion date.

Example:

In a product launch, if the marketing team is falling behind on ads, they could add more designers to speed up the work and stick to the launch date.

Tip: Crashing works best when a deadline is firm, and you’re okay with raising the budget. Just be cautious — too much crashing can lead to high costs and might hurt quality.

4. Fast tracking

Fast tracking is when you schedule tasks in parallel that were originally planned to run sequentially. This helps shorten the project time but can increase risks in terms of quality and coordination.

What it does:

Fast tracking lets you run multiple tasks together, even if their dependencies suggest they should run one after the other. It cuts down on time but needs careful management.

How it works:

• Find tasks that are meant to be done in sequence but could actually be done at the same time.
• Change the schedule to allow for these tasks to overlap without causing chaos.
• Check for risks that might come with juggling tasks.
• Monitor closely to make sure overlapping tasks don’t mess with each other.

Example:

In an event planning project, instead of booking the venue and then doing catering prep, you could start catering as soon as the venue is halfway booked, saving time.

Tip: Fast-tracking is handy when deadlines are tight, but it requires good coordination. Just be ready for possible issues, like conflicts or communication problems.

How to finalize the resource-leveled schedule

With adjustments made, calculate a resource-leveled start and finish date for each task. Now, compare the new schedule with your original project deadline.

• If the leveled dates still fit within your projected completion timeframe, your resources are well-balanced.
• If the leveled dates extend beyond your projected finish, you may need more time or additional resources to stay on track.

By breaking things down task by task, you’ll be able to pinpoint where scheduling issues exist and adjust accordingly.

Three resource leveling examples

Here’s what it might look like in the real world.

Example one: Adjusting work schedules to stop overload

A software development team is working on a new feature, but their lead developer is stuck with two big projects at once. To avoid overwhelming them, the project manager hands off some tasks to other team members and pushes back a few non-urgent deadlines by a week. This keeps the project moving along and helps the team dodge burnout.

Example two: Bringing in extra help

A construction company is building a new office complex, but issues have cropped up and caused havoc. Tasks overlap, leaving them short on workers. Instead of slowing everything down, the company decides to bring in temporary staff to take care of basic tasks, which frees up the skilled workers for the important stuff. This way, they can stick to their original timeline.

Example three: Pushing back a deadline for quality assurance

A publishing team is getting ready to launch a new book, but the editor responsible for the final review is unexpectedly off sick. Rushing this step could mean mistakes, so the team opts to delay the book release by a week. This gives the editor enough time to do a thorough review, resulting in a well-finished product.

Top tips for better resource leveling

Ready to level up your project management? Here are some top tips to help you master this essential technique.

Use Gantt charts

Gantt charts display project tasks as bars, where the length of each bar represents time. They give you a top-down view of task start and finish dates, as well as dependencies. You can also use them to work out the critical path, or spot overlaps and conflicts quickly, so you can make adjustments.

Use a Gantt chart template to speed things up

Use network diagrams

Network diagrams are another visual way to map out the order of critical and noncritical tasks and how they depend on each other. This makes it easier to find where resources might be overused, so you can tweak your schedule accordingly.

Look at past projects

Referring to previous projects can give you a good idea of what resources you usually need and how long tasks take. Use this info to make better estimates and steer clear of past mistakes.

Make good estimates

Strong estimates help you manage your resources better. If you underestimate, you might overload team members, while overestimating can waste time and effort. Use estimation techniques to improve your accuracy, and incorporate them into your project scope before you begin.

Stay open to change

Sometimes, leveling resources might require adjusting the project timeline. Be ready to shift deadlines, add resources, or change tasks when needed instead of sticking to the original plan no matter what. Being a good project manager is 50% planning, 50% being ready to adjust or ditch said plan.

Talk to your team

Since resource leveling often means moving work around, clear communication with your team is essential. Make sure everyone knows their new tasks and deadlines to avoid confusion and delays.

Use it to enhance, not replace project management

Resource leveling is a tool. It’s not a substitute for actual project management, and you need to be aware of the risks. Simply letting an algorithm manage the entirety of your schedule/resource management could lead to some problems, especially if the algorithm’s logic is off — which could happen if you put in a wrong value or over or underestimate the project completion dates.

Embrace compromise

There’s usually a compromise between finishing the project on time and finding a way to secure more resources. The better your project management software, the more finesse you’ll be able to apply to the allocation-scheduling process. Ideally, you will set a range of primary and secondary priorities and limits, so it’s easy for you to analyze the tradeoffs proposed for each task and time slot.

Evaluate before implementing

Evaluate the solution thoroughly before implementing it. Just because it makes sense mathematically doesn’t always mean it makes sense in practice. Think of this tool as an assistant. One whose ultimate goal is to help you create a schedule that’s achievable and makes the best use of the resources available to you.

FAQs

What’s the difference between resource leveling vs. resource smoothing

Resource smoothing (aka time-constrained scheduling) focuses on better resource utilization. It helps project managers avoid big peaks and troughs in resource demands while making sure the project stays on track and hits its deadlines. Use smoothing when resources aren’t distributed evenly, but the project timeline is set.

For example, in a construction project, resource leveling might involve shifting work on non-critical tasks to later dates to resolve worker overbookings, extending the overall timeline. Meanwhile, resource smoothing would involve adjusting daily task allocations to evenly distribute work without changing the project’s deadline. This gives you a balanced workload throughout the project.

What’s the difference between resource leveling vs. resource loading?

Resource loading helps you see how much work each person has on their plate.

It’s the sum of the hours a person is expected to work on tasks during the given period divided by the total number of hours a resource can work in that period (e.g., 40 hours per week).

Resource loading can help you see the workload more clearly, which in turn helps you maximize workforce capacity.

For example, in a software project, you might use resource leveling to move deadlines around so your team doesn’t get swamped. Meanwhile, resource loading can help spot which developers are really busy, and which have quieter schedules, to then figure out how to share the work better.

Why project management software means better resource leveling

Resource leveling helps projects run smoothly. By following these steps, you can make sure work is balanced, deadlines are met, and teams stay happy and productive. But adding a project management tool into the mix can take your organizational ability up a notch.

Backlog has interactive Gantt charts and plenty of automation tools that help you crunch data and get a top-down view of tasks in real time. This saves time, speeds up communication, and keeps everything moving forward. For better collaboration and a more manageable workflow, give it a try for free today!

This post was originally published on January 17, 2020, and updated most recently on April 2, 2025.