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    The document discusses the work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller, more manageable components. It defines the WBS, provides an example structure, and discusses guidelines for developing a high-quality WBS, including ensuring activities are definable, estimateable, and measurable. Different forms of WBS are also outlined, such as phase-based, deliverable-based, and responsibility-based structures.

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    Work Breakdown Structure W Bs

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    The document discusses the work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller, more manageable components. It defines the WBS, provides an example structure, and discusses guidelines for developing a high-quality WBS, including ensuring activities are definable, estimateable, and measurable. Different forms of WBS are also outlined, such as phase-based, deliverable-based, and responsibility-based structures.

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    The document discusses the work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller, more manageable components. It defines the WBS, provides an example structure, and discusses guidelines for developing a high-quality WBS, including ensuring activities are definable, estimateable, and measurable. Different forms of WBS are also outlined, such as phase-based, deliverable-based, and responsibility-based structures.

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    39 views12 pages

    Work Breakdown Structure W Bs

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    yudi
    The document discusses the work breakdown structure (WBS), which is a hierarchical decomposition of a project into smaller, more manageable components. It defines the WBS, provides an example structure, and discusses guidelines for developing a high-quality WBS, including ensuring activities are definable, estimateable, and measurable. Different forms of WBS are also outlined, such as phase-based, deliverable-based, and responsibility-based structures.

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    net/publication/342163727

    WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS)

    Article · June 2020

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    1 author:

    Mohaymen Alutbi
    University of Thi-Qar
    15 PUBLICATIONS   1 CITATION   

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    WORK
    BREAKDOWN
    STRUCTURE (WBS)

    University of Thi-Qar
    College of Engineering
    Petroleum and Gas Department

    Authored by: Mohaymen Alutbi

    1
    2

    Introduction
    A work breakdown structure permits 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.
    A work-breakdown structure (WBS) in project management and systems
    engineering, is a deliverable-oriented breakdown of a project into smaller
    components. A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that
    organizes the team's work into manageable sections. The Project
    Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK 5) defines the work-breakdown
    structure "A hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be
    carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and
    create the required deliverables."
    A work-breakdown structure element may be a product, data, service, or any
    combination thereof. A WBS also provides the necessary framework for
    detailed cost estimating and control along with providing guidance for
    schedule development and control.
    Example of work breakdown structure applied in a NASA reporting
    structure. The work breakdown structure provides a common framework for
    the natural development of the overall planning and control of a contract and
    is the basis for dividing work into definable increments from which the
    statement of work can be developed and technical, schedule, cost, and labor
    hour reporting can be established.
    The development of the WBS normally occurs at the start of a project and
    precedes detailed project and task planning.
    The WBS is organized around the primary products of the project (or
    planned outcomes) instead of the work needed to produce the products

    Project Management and Planning


    3

    (planned actions). Since the planned outcomes are the desired ends of the
    project, they form a relatively stable set of categories in which the costs of
    the planned actions needed to achieve them can be collected. A well-
    designed WBS makes it easy to assign each project activity to one and only
    one terminal element of the WBS. In addition to its function in cost
    accounting, the WBS also helps map requirements from one level of system
    specification to another, for example, a cross reference matrix mapping
    functional requirements to high level or low-level design documents. The
    WBS may be displayed horizontally in outline form, or vertically as a tree
    structure (like an organization chart).
    WBS is a hierarchical and incremental decomposition of the project into
    phases, deliverables and work packages. It is a tree structure, which shows a
    subdivision of effort required to achieve an objective; for example, a
    program, project, and contract. In a project or contract, the WBS is
    developed by starting with the end objective and successively subdividing it
    into manageable components in terms of size, duration, and responsibility
    (e.g., systems, subsystems, components, tasks, subtasks, and work packages)
    which include all steps necessary to achieve the objective.

    Project Management and Planning


    4

    Methodology
    What is Work Breakdown Structure?
    A Work Breakdown Structure (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 the
    cornerstone of effective project planning, execution, controlling, monitoring,
    and reporting. All the work contained within the WBS is to be identified,
    estimated, scheduled, and budgeted.
    Company owners and project managers use the Work Breakdown Structure
    (WBS) to make complex projects more manageable. The WBS is designed to
    help break down a project into manageable chunks that can be effectively
    estimated and supervised. This article will give a few work breakdown
    structure examples and will give you an overview of how WBS can help in
    project planning.

    Work Breakdown Structure Diagram


    The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is developed to establish a common
    understanding of project scope. It is a hierarchical description of the work
    that must be done to complete the deliverables of a project. Each
    descending level in the WBS represents an increasingly detailed description
    of the project deliverables.
    The first two levels of the WBS (the root node and Level 2) define a set of
    planned outcomes that collectively and exclusively represent 100% of the
    project scope. At each subsequent level, the children of a parent node
    collectively and exclusively represent 100% of the scope of their parent
    node. Here is a Work Breakdown Structure example:

    Project Management and Planning


    5

    Quality of a Work Breakdown Structures


    A well-designed WBS describes planned outcomes instead of planned
    actions. Outcomes are the desired ends of the project, such as a product,
    result, or service, and can be predicted accurately. Actions, on the other
    hand, may be difficult to predict accurately. A well-designed WBS makes it
    easy to assign elements of the WBS to any project activity. A good WBS
    should exhibit the following characteristics:
    • Definable: can be described and easily understood by project
    participants.
    • Manageable: a meaningful unit of work where specific responsibility
    and authority can be assigned to a responsible individual.
    • Estimateable: duration can be estimated in time required to complete,
    and cost can be estimated in resources required to complete.
    Project Management and Planning
    6

    • Independent: minimum interface with or dependence on other ongoing


    elements (i.e., assignable to a single control account, and clearly
    distinguishable from other work packages).
    • Integratable: integrates with other project work elements and with
    higher level cost estimates and schedules to include the entire project.
    • Measurable: can be used to measure progress; has start and
    completion dates and measurable interim milestones.
    • Adaptable: sufficiently flexible so the addition/elimination of work
    scope can be readily accommodated in the WBS framework.

    Guidelines for Developing Work Breakdown Structure


    The development of Work Breakdown Structure involves subdividing the
    major project activities or sub-activities into smaller, more manageable
    activities until the activities are defined in sufficient detail to support the
    management and development of project works. The items at the lowest
    level of a branch are known as work packages. Here are some tips in
    developing a Work Breakdown Structure that can express works effectively:
    1. Always express Work Breakdown Structure activities at the lowest
    levels of granularity in verb form.
    2. Review the Work Breakdown Structure. Make sure all deliverables
    have been fully covered by the works defined in the Work Breakdown
    Structure.
    3. Ensure that testing and training have been taken into account.
    4. Ensure that non-IT work packages are also included such as,
    documentation and review activities are included in the structure.
    5. Ensure that other supporting activities such as, product/service launch
    and implementation activities are planned.
    6. Ensure that delivery approval cycles are taken into account.
    7. Include project management deliverables on the project as well (e.g.
    production of Project Plan). Include any deliverables that must be met
    or delivered by the customer or any external parties.

    Project Management and Planning


    7

    Check the Work Breakdown Structure against the project approach


    specified in Project Charter for any activities that needs to be included
    in the Work Breakdown Structure.

    Different Forms of Work Breakdown Structure


    Generally speaking, there are three typical ways in structuring works with a
    Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). They include phase-based structures,
    deliverable-based structures and responsibility-based structures.
    • Phase-based structures
    Define and structure project activities based on the project phases.

    Project Management and Planning


    8

    • Deliverable-based structures
    Define and structure project activities based on the deliverables agreed to
    deliver.

    • Responsibility-based structure
    Define and structure project activities based on the organization units
    that will work on the project.

    Project Management and Planning


    9

    Other Use Cases of Breakdown Structure


    Typical use of breakdown structure as a project management tool includes
    Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Resource Breakdown Structure, Risk
    Breakdown Structure and Organization Breakdown Structure (OBS), or
    sometimes known as Organization Chart.
    • Resource Breakdown Structure
    Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) is a project management tool that
    provides a hierarchical decomposition of resources, either structured by
    resource category, types or by IT/business function that has resource
    needs.
    Here is a Resource Breakdown Structure example:

    Project Management and Planning


    10

    • Risk Breakdown Structure


    Risks are everything in any IT project. The existence of risk causes
    negative impact on project schedule, costs and quality. In project
    management, Project Manager is responsible for managing risks and to
    ensure that the project will be delivered on time, within project and up to
    the standard user expected. One of the popular risk management tool is
    the Risk Breakdown Structure.
    Risk breakdown Structure is the hierarchical decomposition of risks,
    starting from the root node element that represents the project, and going
    down to the various risk categories, and then finer level risks.
    Besides presenting project risks in a Risk Breakdown Structure, it is
    possible to combine the use of Color Legend in representing the impact
    of risk. Take a look at the Risk Breakdown Structure example below, a
    legend of Impact with five items has been setup, representing the five
    levels of impacts that risks may have on the project with five distinct
    color codes.
    Here is a Risk Breakdown Structure example:

    Project Management and Planning


    11

    Organizational Breakdown Structure


    Organizational Breakdown Structure, or sometimes known as Organization
    Chart, is a widely used project management tool for representing project
    organization. It typically begins with the project sponsor, and with all key
    stakeholders included. In presenting the organization structure, consider the
    organization or group that is requesting the project and the level of their
    sponsorship and authority.
    Here is an Organizational Breakdown Structure example:

    Project Management and Planning


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