Workbreakdown Structure
Workbreakdown Structure
Workbreakdown Structure
PMI DEFINITION
• Work Package: The work defined at the lowest level of the work
breakdown structure for which cost and duration can be estimated
and managed.
• Deliverable: A WBS is deliverable oriented. A deliverable is an
outcome or a result of something. A deliverable provides some
value to the project stakeholders.
• Activity: A distinct, scheduled portion of work performed during
the course of a project.
FEW POINTS TO KEEP IN MIND
• WBS foundation for defining the project activities needed to build the
deliverables.
• WBS not the Project Schedule
• WBS does not contain activities, tasks or milestones to be achieved and it
doesn't contain any timing dependencies for performing activities.
• This important information part of the Project Schedule and the Project
Schedule based on the WBS
TOP EYE VIEW
• The upper levels of the WBS : reflect the major deliverable work areas of the project,
decomposed into logical groupings of work.
• The content of the upper levels may vary, depending on the type of project and industry
involved.
• The lower WBS elements : provide appropriate detail and focus for support of project
management processes such as schedule development, cost estimating, resource allocation, and
risk assessment.
• The lowest-level WBS components called as work packages and contain the definitions of work
to be performed and tracked.
• These can be later used as input to the scheduling process to support the elaboration of tasks,
activities, resources, and milestones which can be cost estimated, monitored, and controlled.
A SIMPLE ILLUSTRATION
Wedding Planning
One of the work packages identified : catering management
Within that work package, activities identified:
• interview caterers
• execute contract
• determine final headcount
• issue payment
EXAMPLE
PURPOSE