Work Breakdown Structure

12 Key excerpts on "Work Breakdown Structure"

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  eBook - ePub

  Project Planning Techniques Book (with CD)

  • Parviz F. Rad, Vittal S. Anantatmula(Authors)
  • 2005(Publication Date)
  • Berrett-Koehler Publishers

    (Publisher)

  2 Work Breakdown Structure

  The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) provides a framework for all project elements, for specific tasks within the project, and ultimately for better schedules and better estimates. A WBS will facilitate the process of integrating project plans for time, resources, and scope. A good WBS encourages a systematic planning process, reduces the possibility of omitting key project elements, and simplifies the project by dividing it into manageable units. If the WBS is used as the common skeleton for the schedule and for the estimate, it will facilitate communication among the project team members implementing the project.

  The WBS is an exceptionally useful tool for project planning and monitoring, particularly if it is a deliverable-oriented structure. The information for a WBS is drawn primarily from the project objectives statement, historical files containing information on past projects, previous project performance reports, or any other files containing the original and final objectives of previous projects.

  Rather than develop a WBS for each project, sometimes it is more convenient to develop a general WBS for a family of projects and then select and modify only selected segments for each project. This practice is appropriate in organizations that conduct projects that are somewhat similar but not necessarily identical.

  The process of estimating the cost and duration of the project will also require a detailed and sophisticated resource breakdown structure (RBS). While the WBS is a methodical categorization of the deliverable’s components, the RBS is a logical and useful classification of the resources necessary to accomplish the project objectives with respect to those deliverables. Rather than developing a new RBS for each project, developing an RBS for a large family of projects may be more efficient. As each new project is planned, only those portions of this common RBS that apply to the project at hand will be selected and used.

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  eBook - ePub

  Modern Project Management Techniques for the Environmental Remediation Industry

  • Timothy J. Havranek(Author)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  Developing a Work Breakdown Structure 6

  The term Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) has been mentioned a number of times in the previous chapters. In this chapter, the functions performed by the WBS, as well as methods for its development, are discussed in detail. The WBS is seen by many individuals who are new to project management as simply a tool for scope definition. However, experienced project managers understand that the WBS does much more than outline the scope of work; the WBS provides the means for project integration, communication, and control.

  The primary topics discussed in this chapter include: ■  A definition of the WBS ■  Functions of the WBS ■  Specifications for the WBS ■  Techniques for developing the WBS ■  Rules of thumb for evaluating the WBS ■  Templates for constructing the WBS ■  Scope of work and specification development based on the WBS ■  Risk management based on the scope of work, specifications, and WBS

  Note that WBS templates for generic environmental remediation projects are provided in Appendix E . These templates, designed specifically for the environmental remediation industry, serve as a starting point for developing a project-specific WBS.

  6.1    DEFINITION OF Work Breakdown Structure

  Because of the many functions performed by the WBS, it is difficult to define in a single sentence. The 1987 edition of the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge

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  eBook - PDF

  Project Management

  Principles, Practice and Scheduling

  • Herman Steyn(Author)
  • 2023(Publication Date)
  • Funda Project Management

    (Publisher)

  The work of each project can then be divided or “broken down” further into main areas or deliverables, often called sub- projects. Sub-projects, in turn, are subdivided (or “broken down”) into areas or deliverables called work packages that each contains a number of activities. The structure or outline indicating how a Chapter 5 Project Management 82 project is decomposed into work packages, as well as the reporting relationships between work packages, is called a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). When developing a WBS, one should focus on deliverables 1, 2 (referred to as “products” in the PRINCE2 methodology). Remember, however, that not all deliverables are tangible, hardware products. In developing the WBS it also is necessary to think about all the work that has to be done in order to produce the deliverables. The WBS is used to define the deliverables and work in much greater detail than is spelt out in the scope statement; while the scope statement defines the final deliver- able(s) (e.g. a building), the WBS also defines many intermediary deliverables (such as drawings and specifications for the building). The WBS is also used to assign responsibilities for sub-projects, work packages and eventually activities to specific team members (including subcontractors). Although the WBS is a fundamental building block of projects, there are several conflicting viewpoints and approaches to the development and use of the WBS. 1 While the WBS traditionally focused on work (hence the name Work Breakdown Structure), the trend is towards focusing on deliverables and defining the work (activities) in separate documents. Learning outcomes Upon studying this chapter, you should be able to: (a) Describe the purposes and benefits of Work Breakdown Structures. (b) Given a scope statement, project constraints and assumptions, develop (with the project team) a Work Breakdown Structure and WBS Dictionaries for a project. (c) Explain how a WBS relates to subcontracting of work.

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  eBook - ePub

  Introduction to IT Project Management

  • Cynthia Snyder PMP, Frank Parth PMP(Authors)
  • 2006(Publication Date)
  • Berrett-Koehler Publishers

    (Publisher)

  1 Work not in the WBS is outside the scope of the project.

  Organizing the Work Breakdown Structure

  The WBS is one of the most important tools in planning and managing your product and project scope. It will help define activities for the schedule, assign resources, develop time and cost estimates, identify risks, and assess make-or-buy decisions for project components. Therefore, great care should be taken in organizing the WBS.

  Some rules of thumb for the various levels are:

  Level 1 is your project. Level 2 is the way the project manager will organize and manage the project. Level 3 contains the main components or deliverables of your project. Level 4 breaks down the main components into constituent components or subdeliverables.

  Often in IT project management, level 2 is represented by the project life cycles that we talked about in Chapter 3 . Figure 6-1 shows an example of a WBS.

  One of the questions many new project management practitioners have is, “How low do I go?” Unlike dancing the limbo, lower is not necessarily better. You should continue decomposing the work until the lowest level is broken into activities on the schedule. However, do not put activities on your WBS—it is for deliverables only!

  Figure 6-1 . Levels of a WBS

  The lowest level of the WBS is a work package . A work package is a deliverable that can be measured, scheduled, budgeted, and has an accountable party assigned to it. After you have decomposed your WBS into work packages, the work packages are transferred onto the schedule for further decomposition into the activities necessary to produce the deliverables.

  There is no right or wrong way to set up a WBS. Arrange the WBS however you like, unless your company has a relevant policy or you are working with a contract that dictates how you arrange it. The WBS is your tool for your project, and it should reflect the way you will manage the project.

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  eBook - ePub

  Project Management JumpStart

  • Kim Heldman(Author)
  • 2011(Publication Date)
  • Sybex

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 5 Breaking Down the Project Activities

  • Constructing the Work Breakdown Structure
  • Defining tasks and activities
  • Setting milestones
  • Constructing the Responsibility Assignment Matrix
  • Making activity estimates
  • Constructing network diagrams

  This chapter continues our journey deeper into the planning recesses of project management. Along the way, we’ll define tasks and activities, construct a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and discuss how to estimate activity durations.

  Creating the overall project plan involves many preliminary and incremental steps. This chapter will get us a little closer to the creation of a project schedule, which is one of the most important Planning process documents you’ll create. Paying close attention to creating the Work Breakdown Structure, defining milestones, and activity sequencing will make the job of creating the project schedule much easier.

  At the end of this chapter, we’ll take a look at some diagramming methods for project activities. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and network diagrams help the stakeholders and project team visualize the workflow of the project.

  Constructing the Work Breakdown Structure

  Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) A deliverables-oriented hierarchy that defines all the work of the project. Each succeeding level has more detail than the level above it.

  A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a tool used to graphically display the deliverables of the project in a hierarchical fashion. It organizes the work of the project into logical groupings and displays the information in a tree form or an outline form.

  Only the work of the project (including the project management work) is included in the WBS. If the work is not included in the WBS, it’s not part of the project. All the work at the lowest levels of the WBS should roll up to the higher levels so that nothing is left out and so that no extra work is included. This is known as the 100 percent rule.

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  eBook - ePub

  Project Management JumpStart

  • Kim Heldman(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Sybex

    (Publisher)

  Chapter 5 Breaking Down the Project Activities

  IN THIS CHAPTER

  • Constructing the Work Breakdown Structure
  • Defining tasks and activities
  • Setting milestones
  • Constructing the responsibility assignment matrix
  • Making activity estimates
  • Constructing network diagrams

    This chapter continues our journey deeper into the planning recesses of project management. Along the way, I’ll define tasks and activities, construct a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and discuss how to estimate activity durations.

  Creating the overall project plan involves many preliminary and incremental steps. This chapter will get you a little closer to the creation of a project schedule, which is one of the most important Planning process documents you’ll create. Paying close attention to creating the Work Breakdown Structure, defining milestones, and sequencing activities will make the job of creating the project schedule much easier.

  At the end of this chapter, you’ll take a look at some diagramming methods for project activities. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, and network diagrams help the stakeholders and project team visualize the workflow of the project.

  Constructing the Work Breakdown Structure

  Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)   A deliverables-oriented hierarchy that defines all the work of the project. Each succeeding level has more detail than the level above it.

  A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a tool used to graphically display the deliverables of the project in a hierarchical fashion. It organizes the work of the project into logical groupings and displays the information in a tree form or an outline form.

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  eBook - PDF

  Total Project Control

  A Practitioner's Guide to Managing Projects as Investments, Second Edition

  • Stephen A. Devaux(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  59 chapter five Developing the Work Breakdown Structure If I could wish but one thing for every project, it would be a comprehen-sive and detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). In organizations with immature project management processes, the lack of a good WBS prob-ably results in more inefficiency, schedule slippage, and cost overruns on projects than any other single cause. When I am brought in as a consultant to perform in the role of “project doctor,” invariably there has been no WBS developed. No one knows what work has been done, nor what work remains to be done, and the first thing I have to I do is assemble the plan-ning team to teach them how to create a WBS. In general, during the years since the first edition of Total Project Control was published, the efforts of the Project Management Institute (PMI) have contributed significantly to the understanding and usage of the Work Breakdown Structure. However, the WBS remains the frame-work or skeleton upon which the entire project rests, and those organiza-tions still not using it are falling farther and farther behind. Remember, scope is the most important part of the project, and the WBS is that scope organized into a detailed hierarchical format. It is the WBS, as we shall see, that ties all three sides of the project triangle—scope, schedule, and cost—together. Unfortunately, even when a WBS is assembled on a given project, it is often not done very well, due to the planners’ lack of knowledge of both the underlying principles and the benefits of a WBS. Often one sees a project manager sitting in front of a computer screen and trying to create a list of activities, formatted somewhat haphazardly into a hierarchy. This list, rarely more than 50 to 100 items long, then becomes “THE WBS” for the project, and scheduling data are superimposed upon it.

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  eBook - ePub

  Effective Work Breakdown Structures

  • Gregory T. Haugan PhD, PMP(Authors)
  • 2001(Publication Date)
  • Berrett-Koehler Publishers

    (Publisher)

  CHAPTER 2 Work Breakdown Structure Fundamentals T he WBS represents a logical decomposition of the work to be performed and focuses on how the product, service, or result is naturally subdivided. It is an outline of what work is to be performed. Development of a WBS requires knowledge of how the output or deliverable components will be assembled or integrated to form the final product or knowledge of what the major areas of work are. This knowledge is required whether the final product is a report, an airplane, a building, an electronic system, a computer program, a wedding, a conference, a culture change, or any other output product from a project. It is necessary either to know something about the work that is to be done or to have access to subject matter expertise in order to involve the project team and other stakeholders in development of the WBS. In this chapter, different algorithms for breaking down or subdividing project work are discussed. First, however, it is necessary to state an important rule that applies to all levels of all WBSs: the 100 percent rule. THE 100 PERCENT RULE The 100 percent rule is the most important criterion in developing a WBS and in evaluating the decomposition logic. It is as follows: The next level decomposition of a WBS element (child level) must represent 100 percent of the work applicable to the next higher (parent) element. In Figure 2-1, the 100 percent rule means that the combination of the work involved in landscaped grounds + garage + project management = 100 percent of the work to be performed in the garage project. There is no project activity that does not fit within one of these categories. In a top-down subdivision, most planners would follow this rule without prompting—at least to Level 2

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  eBook - PDF

  Project Scope Management

  A Practical Guide to Requirements for Engineering, Product, Construction, IT and Enterprise Projects

  • Jamal Moustafaev(Author)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Auerbach Publications

    (Publisher)

  The entire work-force had been divided into two groups: elite skilled workers including quarry workers, haulers, and masons (about 4,000 people) and sec-ondary workers including ramp builders, toolmakers, mortar mixers, and those providing backup services such as supplying food, clothing, and fuel (approximately 16,000). Hemon had various project and functional managers report-ing to him on this particular project; some of the titles included “overseer of the side of the pyramid,” “director of the draftsmen,” “overseer of masonry,” “director of workers,” and the “inspector of the craftsmen.” It is not known yet if the Egyptians actually used anything resem-bling a Work Breakdown Structure, but as can be seen from this nar-rative, 20,000 people were separated into efficient, easily monitored units with specific tasks allocated to them. The reason this historical case study is being mentioned at the beginning of the chapter dedicated to the work breakdown struc-tures is that even several thousand years ago our ancestors came to the conclusion that success on large and complex projects cannot be achieved unless a lot of effort is invested in the project scope definition. Figure 12.1 Egyptian pyramids. 239 CREATING Work Breakdown StructureS What Is a Work Breakdown Structure? A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is defined as deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. It defines and groups a project’s discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project. Work packages are defined as deliverable or project work components at the lowest level of each branch of the WBS that include the activi-ties required to complete the work package deliverable. In essence, WBSs are similar in concept to hierarchies or pyramids as shown in Figure 12.2.

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  eBook - ePub

  Work Breakdown Structures

  The Foundation for Project Management Excellence

  • Eric S. Norman, Shelly A. Brotherton, Robert T. Fried(Authors)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  In a functional breakdown of a WBS, the project’s deliverables are grouped by business function while the deliverable orientation of the WBS is retained. This form of breakdown helps facilitate communication of responsibility to the stakeholder organizations involved in the project. Similar to functional breakdowns, role-based breakdowns also facilitate communications of responsibility for deliverables. Method-oriented groupings of the work typically organize the project’s deliverables based on a defined methodology or delivery process. This, in turn, helps facilitate understanding of the project’s outcomes for the project team and other project stakeholders. Breakdowns by higher-level deliverables or components are very common and used across many industries and project types. This form of decomposition is independent of the project organization or execution methodology. In many instances, this keeps the WBS simple and straightforward. In many instances, the choice of which breakdown logic to utilize is defined by the standards of the executing organization. In other instances, the Project Manager is free to choose. Whichever option is chosen, the selection of which breakdown logic to use is yet another Use-Related Characteristic for the project or program in question.

  Figure 2.1 depicts a deliverable/component view of the House example WBS. Figure 2.5 shows an alternate representation of the same WBS organized by function. Both representations contain the same Work Packages, the lowest-level WBS elements. The primary difference is the organization of the higher level WBS elements.

  In quality Work Breakdown Structures, each work package should represent a discreet deliverable of the project, be it product, service, result or outcome. Work Packages differ from tasks and activities in that they are deliverables expressed in the noun-object form. As part of the transition from the WBS to the Project Schedule, each work package will be further decomposed into tasks, activities and milestones which are expressed in the verb-object form. These tasks, activities and milestones are not part of the WBS but rather part of the Project Schedule. This is discussed in further detail in Chapter 7.

  Figure 2.5 Alternative house example WBS decomposition.

  WBS IN PROJECTS, PROGRAMS, PORTFOLIOS, AND THE ENTERPRISE

  Work Breakdown Structures have long been the foundation for managing individual projects. In recent years, there has been a growing trend to use the WBS to help plan and manage programs and portfolios. As WBS usage in programs and portfolios begins to take hold, we believe that WBS application will expand to the enterprise level. The PMI Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures

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  CompTIA Project+ Certification Guide

  Learn project management best practices and successfully pass the CompTIA Project+ PK0-004 exam

  • J. Ashley Hunt(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Packt Publishing

    (Publisher)

  If you’ve ever gotten half-way through your project and realize you missed something, it is possible that you jumped right from scope into schedule. To avoid that from happening, we will break down the scope of work in a methodical manner. There isn’t really a wrong way to do this, except not to do this – especially with all the software we have available to us these days.

  Old school, using no real software so to speak, Work Breakdown Structures look like an organizational chart, and in some ways, that’s an effective way to think about it. Organizational charts take top-level positions (CEO, CFO, president) and break the organization down to the team or functional level. For the scope of work, we will take large deliverables or features and break them down to a group of work that can be accurately estimated.

  These days, we’re utilizing software programs to help us create our schedules, our Gantt charts, our budgets, and resource scheduling. The creation of the WBS is also being done in software programs, so your real-world WBS may look more like an outline than an organizational chart.

  I think of the WBS and the project scope statement working together to produce something to specification. An analogy that I use in my classes to describe both especially important scope documents is in the form of a jigsaw puzzle.

  When you go to the store to buy a jigsaw puzzle, the chances are the one you choose is based on the picture on the puzzle box. Maybe today it’s the Eiffel tower, or a basket of puppies (aww!); whichever one you choose, the picture on the puzzle box shows you what success looks like. There is nothing extra. The box tells you how many pieces are in the puzzle, how much the puzzle costs, and what age groups it is appropriate for. So, you go home all excited to build your jigsaw puzzle, and you open the box. There is no way that that jumble of pieces is easily sequenced, or even managed in its current state. What is the first thing that you will do? You will start taking the pieces out of the puzzle box and organize them. Corners with corners, reds with reds, blues with blues, and so on. Once you have your piles organized, you will then refer to the picture on the puzzle box, to help you execute putting the puzzle together. In this case, the project scope statement is the picture on the puzzle box. It is exactly what success looks like at any given moment. The Work Breakdown Structure is the piles of puzzle pieces that are organized, like with like. This is a necessary step to be truly ready to begin putting a puzzle together and creating the result.

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  Information Technology Project Management

  Providing Measurable Organizational Value

  • Jack T. Marchewka(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  You should work through the Microsoft Project ® T utorial 1: Creating the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) at www.wiley.com/go/ marchewka/msprojecttutorial before beginning this case assignment. This would also be a good opportunity for you and your team to do another learning cycle. Read through this assignment first and then meet as a team to develop a Project Team Record and an Action Plan. This will help to improve team learning and to assign responsibilities to complete the assignment. The Scope Management Plan and WBS Your client, MAA, has given your team the authority to develop the project’s scope. The project’s scope defines the project work. It includes the work boundaries and deliverables that you will deliver to your client. In addi- tion, you will create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that will be used to create your project’s schedule and budget in your next assignment. Please provide a professional-looking document that includes the following: 1. Project name, project team name, and the names of the members of your project team. 2. A brief project description. 3. The project’s MOV—This should be revised or refined if necessary. 4. A deliverable structure chart (DSC) —This should be based on the project life cycle and the systems development life cycle. You should begin by creating a hierarchical chart that defines all of the project and system development phases. The system development phases will depend largely on the development approach you use (Waterfall or Agile). After you have identified all project phases, the next step in developing a DSC is to 142 CHAPTER 5 / PROJECT PLANNING: SCOPE AND THE Work Breakdown Structure identify at least one project or product deliverable for each phase. 5. A use case diagram (UCD) —A UCD defines the high-level features and functionality that the application system should include. Although Figure 5.5 provides an example of a use case, you can build one: a.

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