What is Resource Smoothing?
Resource smoothing evens out resource demand by shifting activities only within their available float — peaks get shaved, valleys get filled, and the critical path and end date stay untouched. It's an optimization, not a rescue.
The limitation is built in: because only float can be spent, smoothing may not eliminate every overallocation. When it can't, you escalate to resource leveling and accept the schedule impact. Exam mnemonic: smoothing = cosmetic, deadline safe; leveling = surgical, deadline at risk.
Worked example
A QA team is booked at 140% in week 6 and 40% in week 7. Two test activities with five days of float slide a week: utilization becomes 90% and 90%, the release date doesn't move, and nobody works the weekend. That's smoothing — invisible in the milestone chart, very visible in team morale.