When it comes down to it, a work breakdown structure isn’t so hard to create. In fact, once you get the hang of it, you and your team can only benefit from adding a visual hierarchy or project tasks. Whether you’re a visual or verbal learner, there’s a work management tool out there for everyone. From there, you’ll organize your structure based on the hierarchical levels of sub-deliverables. Your project might also include phases based on the work needed and the overall project timeline.
The task descriptions include both a task name and a brief description of the objectives. Since your WBS won’t have space for a full description, you can include additional details in your WBS dictionary. If you’re looking for even more help with the creation of your WBS, or you need a more comprehensive and detailed WBS, a software tool might be the way to go.
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Thus if the project team is reporting progress monthly, then no single activity or series of activities should be longer than one month long. For new product development projects, the most common technique to ensure an outcome-oriented WBS is to use a product breakdown structure. Now https://www.globalcloudteam.com/glossary/work-breakdown-structure/ that you know what goes into a WBS and how to build one using a variety of software tools, let’s look at a tangible WBS example. While your template will look slightly different depending on the method you use to create it, your WBS should include similar task hierarchies and levels.
According to the Project Management Institute, a work package is the “lowest level of the work breakdown structure for which cost and duration are estimated and managed.” You can start your WBS in a number of ways, including by importing an existing spreadsheet or building it directly in timeline software. Timelines are different from Kanban boards and calendars due to the visual layout and adjustable functionality.
Key Characteristics and Components of the WBS
Deliverables are important to define, as are the tasks that get you there—but most tasks require being broken down further in order to complete them. They’re part of a more complex task, and you want that feature in your WBS software. Once you’ve chosen a deliverable-based or phase-based WBS, you can also choose between different types of WBS diagrams. Let’s take a look at the main types of work breakdown structure charts.
This also ensures that the WBS is not overly prescriptive of methods, allowing for greater ingenuity and creative thinking on the part of the project participants. When a project provides professional services, a common technique is to capture all planned deliverables to create a deliverable-oriented WBS. The Third Level, “Work Packages” consists of groups of tasks that form the control accounts. Tasks should be a manageable number so project managers can coordinate their execution and monitoring. For instance, if your team needs to develop a database system, a task at the work packages level could be the development of a software application. You’ll need to start at the final project deliverable and think about all the deliverables and work packages needed to get there from the start.
Define the project scope.
Illustrative example of ISDC Level 1 benchmarking of cost for various NPP decommissioning projects. •One-to-N allocation of non-ISDC WBS items to several relevant ISDC items where the identified content of non-ISDC WBS items includes content of several ISDC cost item according to ISDC definitions. Gantt Chart – a visualization of the WBS with tasks represented graphically over time. Work Estimate – how many hours/days of work are required to complete the task .
A work breakdown structure permits the summing of subordinate costs for tasks, materials, etc., into their successively higher level “parent” tasks, materials, etc. For each element of the work breakdown structure, a description of the task to be performed is generated. This technique (sometimes called a system breakdown structure) is used to define and organize the total scope of a project.
Work Breakdown Structure Example
A work breakdown structure dictionary is a great place to start when building a new project structure. Because the visual nature of a good WBS doesn’t allow room for detailed explanations, the WBS dictionary describes each task in more detail. Creating a dictionary is an instrumental part of helping project team members more easily find necessary details of your tasks. Levels of a work breakdown structure help separate tasks by dependencies. Since projects can differ so significantly, the levels of your work breakdown structure will too. While most projects do have some form of dependencies, it’s possible you’ll come across projects that don’t require sub-dependencies.
This type of WBS is focused on the steps that need to be taken within individual disciplines to complete a project and typically phrases individual elements in verb form. These members will be responsible for the tasks involved in each section of work, ultimately leading to the corresponding deliverable. Its progress is tracked by whether or not the deliverable has been completed.
How can a project manager get started with a WBS?
Most importantly, make sure that each work page is unique and not repetitive. This version of a WBS uses a tree structure to list and organize various phases, deliverables, and packages. The WBS dictionary should contain detailed breakdowns of the project, including outputs, project costs, etc. Next, the project must be broken down into phases starting from the origin to completion. But WBS is critical because it consolidates data in one place and gives a clear insight into the project scope. Its layout and details, therefore, should be used as input for other collateral.
- The schedule is one of the most important components of a project management plan and will be used to monitor progress throughout the life of the project.
- To arrive at a work breakdown structure, project managers split the vast scope of a project into smaller outcomes, which are measurable and easier to understand.
- Level two of your WBS will include subtasks, otherwise known as dependencies, of the parent task.
- For example, if you are a project manager for an aircraft system development, the top level of the WBS could be “Aircraft System Development”.
- The work breakdown structure lets you dissect the project to understand how it all fits together and create a Gannt chart that provides clear focus and critical path requirements.
- The WBS can be used to communicate information regarding project scope, dependencies, and risk, as well as budget and schedule progress and performance.
This portion of the WBS is the big guiding picture of the project and is generally developed by the entire project team. Analysis of the model must include thorough evaluation of the critical path and near critical path activities. The number of near critical path activities can affect the probability of achieving the planned completion date. If the model is well structured, probability analysis of the completion date could be undertaken. Results of ISDC benchmarking have an important information value. In one aggregated graph or table it is possible to see the differences of individual ISDC items.
Types of WBS Charts
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