BrainBOK Blog

Resource Leveling and Resource Smoothing are two resource optimization techniques used in the Develop Schedule process, as defined in Process Groups: A Practice Guide. PMP^® and CAPM^® certification aspirants often get confused between these terms. While Resource Leveling is explained quite well in the Guide, Resource Smoothing isn’t. In fact, Resource Smoothing doesn’t find a mention in most project management references. In this post, we’ll learn about the difference between the two with the help of examples and illustrations. If you been following my personal blog, then this is another post in the PMP Study Notes series.

Benefits Realization Management (BRM) or Benefits Management is one of the new subject areas included in the PMP Exam with the Jan 2016 update. Project Management Institute (PMI^®) has been conducting extensive research on BRM for the past 2 years. In this post, we’ll learn what BRM is, what its benefits are, and where it fits in the context of project management. We’ll also look at the role of project managers in BRM and why PMI has been focusing so much on this discipline. This post could also serve as study notes for the PMP^® exam.