What is a WBS

What is a WBS?

1. Introduction

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a project management tool that breaks down the project into smaller components, making it less overwhelming and more manageable. It visually organizes project deliverables into different levels based on dependencies. A WBS is a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. A WBS is a visual project breakdown that can integrate scope, cost, and deliverables into a single tool.

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2. Breakdown

A WBS can be created using a combination of workflow management software and project management frameworks, such as timelines, Kanban boards, and calendars. The WBS shows the deliverables and how they connect back to the overarching project. A WBS is the foundation component in project management, and it’s the foundation of the project that helps to plan the total estimated time for the project. Role allocation and resource allocation are also done in every activity.

A WBS is helpful for project management because it provides a roadmap for the different individuals and teams working on the project. It allows the project participants and stakeholders to understand the work breakdown structure terminology with more clarity. It also helps project managers communicate information regarding a project budget and timeline to key stakeholders, including the individuals and teams involved in the project. Finally, by breaking down the project into smaller components, a WBS integrates scope, cost, and deliverables into a single tool.

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3. Principles

The WBS levels below subdivide the project scope to indicate the tasks, deliverables, and work packages that are needed to complete the project from start to finish. The most common and preferred approach to WBS is the Deliverable-Based approach, where the first level of the WBS identifies the elements that are the project’s main deliverable, control accounts, project deliverables, and work packages.

Here are the six principles of WBS:

• 100% Rule: This rule is the most important work management principle to construct a WBS. It consists of including 100% of the work defined by the project scope, which is divided into WBS levels that contain control accounts, project deliverables, work packages, and tasks. This rule applies to all the levels of the WBS, so the sum of the work at a lower WBS level must equal the 100% of the work represented by the WBS level above without exception.

• Use Nouns: WBS is about deliverables and the tasks that will lead to your final deliverable. Therefore, you’re dealing more on the what than the how. Verbs are great for action, and should be used in your descriptions, but for clarity, stick to nouns for each of the steps in your WBS.

• Be Thorough: For a WBS to do its job, there must be no holes. Everything is important if it’s part of the course that leads to your final deliverable. To manage that schedule, you need a complete listing of every task, big and small, that takes you there.

• Keep Tasks Mutually Exclusive: This simply means that there’s no reason to break out individual tasks for work that is already part of another task. If the work is covered in a task because it goes together with that task, then you don’t need to make it a separate task.

• Go Just Deep Enough: You can get crazy with subtasks on your WBS. The WBS has to be detailed, but not so deep that it becomes confusing. Ideally, think maybe three or five at most levels.

• Set WBS Levels: The WBS levels are what make a work breakdown structure a “hierarchical deconstruction of your project scope”. 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.

It is important to understand the difference between deliverables and activities/tasks when creating a WBS. Deliverables are products or outputs, written as if they have been produced already – thus usually phrased in the past tense (example “assembly completed”). A deliverable does not consume time and resources because they are produced through activities/tasks. An activity/task is what you do to deliver (produce a deliverable).

When completed, each WBS element should contain the following four items:

• A unique identifier

• A definition

• The owner or responsible party

• The schedule milestones or due dates

There are different types of WBS structures, such as verb-oriented WBS, noun-oriented WBS, time-phased WBS, organization-types, geographical-types, cost breakdown types, and profit-center types. Deliverable-oriented WBS structures are the preferred type according to PMI’s definition. Since a work breakdown structure is displayed visually, it can be created using a combination of workflow management software and project management frameworks. Some of these methods include timelines, Kanban boards, and calendars.

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4. Summary

A WBS is an excellent tool for measuring project completion, identifying milestones, and allocating budget resources. It helps avoid common project management issues such as missed deadlines, scope creep, and cost overrun, among others. A WBS dictionary is a document that defines the various WBS elements. It’s an important component of a WBS because it allows the project participants and stakeholders to understand the work breakdown structure terminology with more clarity. A work order is similar to a statement of work, but its main purpose is to show the costs associated with each task. A WBS is essential for accurate cost estimation.