When would you apply crash or fast-track techniques, and what is a major risk of each?

• A. During schedule compression; Crash increases cost and may not always reduce duration; Fast-track increases risk due to overlapping activities
• B. During scope definition; Crash reduces scope; Fast-track eliminates dependencies
• C. During risk response planning; Crash reduces risk; Fast-track adds buffers
• D. During quality assurance; Crash extends duration; Fast-track reduces labor

Answer: (A)

Crashing and fast-tracking are ways to shorten the project timeline by tightening the schedule rather than changing what the project will deliver.

Crashing is used during schedule compression by adding resources or extending work hours on critical-path activities to finish sooner. The major risk is higher cost, and sometimes you won’t actually reduce the duration if the activities can’t be shortened effectively.

Fast-tracking means overlapping activities that would normally occur in sequence, so work starts earlier than planned. The major risk is increased risk to the project because the overlapping work can lead to rework, errors, or integration problems if dependencies aren’t managed carefully.

Other options place these techniques in areas like scope definition, risk response planning, or quality assurance, which isn’t correct because these schedule-focused techniques alter timing, not scope or quality. This option aligns with applying schedule compression and correctly identifying the primary risks.