Scheduling is not complete without integrating resources (manpower, materials, equipment) and costs.

1. Resource Allocation

Assign resources to each activity to ensure feasibility and productivity.

Techniques:

• Resource Histogram: A Visual display of resource usage over time.
• Resource Leveling: Adjust start times to resolve over-allocation.
• Resource Smoothing: Optimize usage without changing the project duration.

2. Cost Loading

Assign monetary value to activities so that the schedule progress reflects the actual financial status.

Steps:

• Assign cost to each WBS item.
• Link activity cost to corresponding schedule tasks.
• Generate S-curves showing cumulative cost vs. time.
• Integrate with Earned Value Analysis (EVA) to measure performance.

Formula:

EV = (Percent Complete) × (Budgeted Cost)