FAST TRACKING IS a common used on projects, especially those that are pressed for time. Fast tracking simply means doing work in parallel rather than in sequence in order to save time.
This technique can be used at the project level as well as the activity level. For example, a company can start producing a certain output while work on the design is still under way, mainly to save time. Proofreading a document while it has not been completed yet is another example.
Many recent product development processes, such as the iterative processes of software development, utilize fast tracking in one form or the other. Using fast tracking, work can be done in parallel, allowing the work on the new product to finish earlier than if the work is done in a sequence.
Saving time using fast tracking has its pros and cons. On the positive side, it does save time. However, it might lead to risks of having to do the job once again. For example, if the proofreading starts before a document is complete and major changes are later introduced to it, the proofreading must be done once again.
To fast track a project, it is important to identify the relationships among activities in the process that are discretionary. Discretionary, sometimes called soft or preferred logic, means that the sequential relationship of how the work is done is not a must, but rather a preferred way of doing work. As in the example of proofreading, usually proofreading is done after the document is complete not because this is a must, but because it is preferred that proofreading is only done after a document is completed. Once these preferred relationships are identified, they should then be analyzed to determine the impact of removing the preferred relationship on the chances for project success. If it is found that the risk taken is not major, or benefits gained from removing the relationship are higher than the costs of the risk, then the relationship can be a good candidate for removal, allowing activities' fast tracking.
Sometimes fast tracking is misused in organizations. For example, it is sometimes mistakenly interpreted as multi-tasking. While fast tracking is an acceptable practice, multi-tasking is a bad one. Multi-tasking is having a team member work on two tasks at the same time, which reduces focus on either task and both tasks end up being delayed. This is not the same as fast tracking.
Sometimes the fast tracking technique is used as an excuse to skip quality checks. For example, if a company wrongly started work without an initial plan, they might use fast tracking as an excuse. This is also not fast tracking, as having an initial plan is a must before starting work.
Another way this practice is abused is when it is used as an excuse to skip important check points at the beginning and end of each project phase. Each phase should only be started after certain requirements are met. These requirements might be a combination of technical as well as business requirements. Starting work without the start of phase check is not fast tracking. The same is true when a phase is considered done and assumed accepted when no formal meeting has provided a formal approval to project completion. This is dangerous in critical phases and should not be confused with fast tracking.
If used properly, this technique provides opportunities to reduce lead time that otherwise could be lost due to unnecessarily making work proceed sequentially. In some cases, lead times can be cut in half by removing unnecessary sequencing of activities or sequences that do not provide enough value to justify delay of project activities.
By Ammar W. Mango
© Jordan Times 2007
