Schedule · tool 5 of 7
Crashing and Fast Tracking
Crashing and Fast Tracking: shortens a schedule when the date can’t move.
Best for: Recovering a late project · Time: 1–2 hours
Domain: Schedule · Focus area: Monitoring and Controlling
How it works
Crashing adds resources to critical tasks and raises cost. Fast tracking runs tasks in parallel that were planned in sequence, which raises risk and rework. Neither is free, and both only help on the critical path.
- Only compress critical tasks.
- Pick the cheapest day saved first.
- Adding people late can slow things down.
How to apply it
- Find the critical path.
- List each way of saving a day and its cost or risk.
- Choose the best trade.
- Recheck the path, as it can move.
Bring in a second electrician for €2k to save three days, rather than start testing before the install ends.
Before compressing, try cutting scope. It’s often the cheapest way to win time.
Use it
- Playbook: We are going to miss the date
Quick check
Doing two tasks in parallel that were planned one after the other is…
Sources
- PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition, and The Standard for Project Management (PMI, 2025)
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 against the PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition · Practitioner review pending · How this guide is made