WBS is a hierarchical and incremental decomposition of the project into deliverables . It is a tree structure, which shows a subdivision of effort required to achieve an objective, for example, a program, project, and contract. The process of breaking down Level 1 elements is called decomposition. It consists of breaking down a task into smaller and smaller pieces, applying the 100% rule at each level. At each subsequent level, ask yourself whether further decomposition would improve project management. Continue breaking down the elements until the answer to that question is “no.” When you’ve completed the decomposition process for each element in Level 1, the WBS is complete.

• A work breakdown structure is a visual tool for defining and tracking a project deliverable and all the small components needed to create it.
• Calendars are great tools for creating a WBS and they give you a different visual experience from the options above.
• A work breakdown structure is a project management tool used to define and manage a project’s deliverables.
• However, WBS shows the breakdown of the project scope in a much clearer way, which helps in preventing changes.

So that you’ll always be able to assign resources, expenses and changes to a specific work package later on, these are usually provided with a code within the work breakdown structure. Information Technology Engineers can use a work breakdown structure as a roadmap for their program development, for example, software development, remote projects, database system development and more. In other words, the use of work breakdown structure would bring accountability to your team. There is no set requirement or limit to how many work components you can have. It completely depends on the size and scope of your project and the deliverables. As a WBS shows the project work and deliverables that need to be completed, it guides your entire team on what needs to be done and how it needs to be done.

Why Use a WBS In Project Management?

A Gantt chart shows activities over time so that you can visually see information related to the schedule of the project and its various activities. The first step in creating a work breakdown structure is to clearly establish the project. For other projects, it might require refining work breakdown structure the actual scope of the project so that the WBS is scaled appropriately and doesn’t become unwieldy. To use a work breakdown structure effectively, it is important to include all components of a project (remember that 100% rule described above) but without too much detail.

Rod Baxter says, “You don’t create a work breakdown structure without someone on your team who is a subject matter expert . You need people on the team that really know what’s going on.” SMEs can help list all the tasks required in a WBS and identify overlapping responsibilities or gaps in the completed chart. Those risks aren’t sustainable over time, so using WBS when possible is always preferred. A breakdown structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the project deliverables.

Subsea Cost Estimation

Generally speaking, there are three typical ways in structuring works with a Work Breakdown Structure . They includes phase-based structures, deliverable-based structures and responsibility-based structures. Ensure that other supporting activities such as, product/service launch and implementation activities are planned.

In practice, all three of the indicated principles are used, often in combination as well. In doing so, you should take care to only apply one ordering principle per breakdown level. Google WorkspaceCollaborate smarter with Google’s cloud-powered tools. Construction Project Leaders can use a work breakdown structure to track utility work and follow up environmental approvals.

How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure? (Step-By-Step)

It’s useful for visualizing projects and individual aspects of a project. Lucidchart is a cloud-based visual collaboration tool that allows teams to work together on the same diagram with real-time updates and live chat. Lucidchart provides a simple interface that enables you to create professional diagrams without prior experience. A risk breakdown structure is used to organize risks into categories and subcategories in a way that helps you manage them effectively.

The re-distribution of cost to ISDC cost categories is then performed based on experience by allocating percentages to typical ISDC activities. To eliminate work that doesn’t contribute to the deliverable, ensure that the sum of all resources in WBS, whether time, money, or another element, adds up to 100 percent. In other words, the elements in level two total 100 percent, and the level three and lower elements roll up into the level two percentage.

Keep Your Team Working

Control accounts function like work packages with some additional requirements. Control accounts are usually created for major parts of the project, such as phases and key deliverables. There are a number of free and paid project management software that you can use to create a WBS for your projects. Before selecting a software tool, research a variety of them and evaluate their cost, features, and ease of use.

The ordering takes place according to various principles from which one can decide. In general, the WBS serves the purpose of displaying all the tasks that need to be closed at the successful conclusion of a specific project. Check out your project based on a top-level view so your team can easily decide a project timeline or schedule.

Terminal element

Adopt a standard structure for providing descriptive information for each WBS element in the WBS dictionary to ensure consistency. That can and should be tailored to the type of project and the types of team members who need to access it. By taking into account each project’s WBS, the organization can quickly calculate the budget for whole departments. Marketing & Creative Management Manage campaigns, resources, and creative projects at scale. Modern Project & Portfolio Management Connect projects with organization strategy.

Virtual teams can perform a similar activity through collaborative whiteboarding software. Rarely can one person know everything required to complete a project, least of all a project manager, who may not be a subject matter expert. An effective work package defines the work, duration, and costs for the tasks required for each deliverable. Work packages are independent of each other in the work stream, and they should be unique and not duplicated across the project. Integratable—integrates with other project work elements and with higher level cost estimates and schedules to include the entire project. Applying this rule of thumb, one can apply “common sense” when creating the duration of a single activity or group of activities necessary to produce a deliverable defined by the WBS.

WBS Elements

Turns out, there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to the WBS. A key component of a work breakdown structure is the 100% rule. This means that the WBS encompasses all https://www.globalcloudteam.com/ aspects of the project, as well as the person or team responsible for that component. Project scope statement, outlining the project’s objectives, deliverables, and boundaries.