Review the Wbss and Cost Estimates Provided Discuss Any Questions You Might Have About Them

What is a Work Breakdown Construction?

➔ Gratis 30-day WBS Software Trial

Breaking work into smaller tasks is a common productivity technique used to make the piece of work more manageable and approachable. For projects, the Work Breakup Construction (WBS) is the tool that utilizes this technique and is one of the most important projection management documents. It singlehandedly integrates scope, cost and schedule baselines ensuring that project plans are in alignment.

The Project Management Constitute (PMI) Project Direction Volume of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines the Piece of work Breakup Structure as a "deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed past the project team." There are two types of WBS: 1) Deliverable-Based and ii) Phase-Based. The about common and preferred approach is the Deliverable-Based approach. The main departure between the two approaches are the Elements identified in the showtime Level of the WBS.

Deliverable-Based Piece of work Breakdown Construction

A Deliverable-Based Piece of work Breakdown Construction clearly demonstrates the relationship between the project deliverables (i.east., products, services or results) and the scope (i.e., piece of work to be executed). Effigy i is an example of a Deliverable-Based WBS for edifice a firm. Figure 2 is an example of a Phase-Based WBS for the same project.

Figure 1 – Deliverable Based Work Breakdown Structure

In Figure 1, the Level 1 Elements are summary deliverable descriptions. The Level 2 Elements in each Leg of the WBS are all the unique deliverables required to create the respective Level 1 deliverable.

Phase-Based Work Breakdown Structure

In Effigy 2, a Stage-Based WBS, the Level 1 has five Elements. Each of these Elements are typical phases of a project. The Level 2 Elements are the unique deliverables in each phase. Regardless of the type of WBS, the lower Level Elements are all deliverables. Notice that Elements in different Legs have the same proper name. A Phase-Based WBS requires work associated with multiple elements be divided into the work unique to each Level 1 Chemical element. A WBS Lexicon is created to describe the work in each Element.

Figure 2 - Phase Based Work Breakdown Construction

A skilful WBS is simply one that makes the project more manageable. Every project is unlike; every project manager is different and every WBS is unlike. So, the right WBS is the i that best answers the question, "What construction makes the project more manageable?".

How to Brand a Work Breakdown Structure

A good Work Breakup Structure is created using an iterative process by following these steps and meeting these guidelines:

1. Gather Critical Documents
   1. Gather disquisitional projection documents.
   2. Identify content containing project deliverables, such as the Project Lease, Scope Statement and Project Management Plan (PMP) subsidiary plans.
2. Identify Primal Squad Members
   1. Identify the appropriate project team members.
   2. Analyze the documents and identify the deliverables.
3. Define Level ane Elements
   1. Define the Level i Elements. Level 1 Elements are summary deliverable descriptions that must capture 100% of the project scope.
   2. Verify 100% of scope is captured. This requirement is commonly referred to every bit the 100% Rule.
4. Decompose (Breakdown) Elements
   1. Begin the process of breaking the Level 1 deliverables into unique lower Level deliverables. This "breaking downwardly" technique is called Decomposition.
   2. Continue breaking down the work until the piece of work covered in each Element is managed by a unmarried individual or organization. Ensure that all Elements are mutually sectional.
   3. Inquire the question, would whatever additional decomposition brand the project more manageable? If the respond is "no", the WBS is washed.
5. Create WBS Dictionary
   1. Define the content of the WBS Lexicon. The WBS Dictionary is a narrative description of the work covered in each Element in the WBS. The everyman Level Elements in the WBS are called Piece of work Packages.
   2. Create the WBS Dictionary descriptions at the Piece of work Package Level with detail enough to ensure that 100% of the project scope is covered. The descriptions should include information such as, boundaries, milestones, risks, owner, costs, etc.
6. Create Gantt Chart Schedule
   1. Decompose the Work Packages to activities as appropriate.
   2. Export or enter the Work Breakdown Structure into a Gantt nautical chart for farther scheduling and project tracking.

Circumspection: It is possible to break the work down likewise much. How much is too much? Since cost and schedule data collection, analysis and reporting are connected to the WBS, a very detailed WBS could require a significant amount of unnecessary effort to manage.

At that place are many WBS software tools available. Some of them are based on mind mapping and others are drawing tools. Yous can read about these tools in this WBS software review.

Here is an example of how to make a WBS with MindView:

How to Use a Work Breakup Structure

The Work Breakdown Structure is used for many dissimilar things. Initially, it serves every bit a planning tool to help the projection team program, ascertain and organize scope with deliverables. The WBS is also used equally the primary source of schedule and cost estimate activities. Only, its biggest contributions to a projection are is use as a clarification all of the piece of work and as a monitoring and controlling tool.

Work Packages
Figure 3 shows the House Project Piece of work Breakdown Construction expanded to Level one, ii, and 3 Elements. The lowest Levels of each Leg and Branch of the WBS are called Work Packages. Work Packages comprehend information related to the deliverable, such every bit owner, milestones, durations, resources, risks, etc. This information is described in the WBS Lexicon.

Planning Packages
In that location is another blazon of Work Package called a Planning Package. When the projection management programme is approved, telescopic is known, but not necessarily all of the details. In order to employ the 100% Rule and capture all of the scope, Planning Packages are created. It is understood that as details are defined, the Planning Packages somewhen evolve to Work Packages. In the Business firm Project, the project managing director knows that the firm will take fixtures, merely at the fourth dimension construction begins, there is but a fixture allowance and no fixtures identified. Once the fixtures are determined, the associated Planning Package becomes a Work Packet. This planning process is phone call Rolling Wave Planning and is a from of Progressive Elaboration.

Figure iii – WBS Work Packages and Control Accounts

Control Accounts
The other awarding of the WBS is as a monitoring and controlling tool. This is accomplished by defining Control Accounts. Control Accounts are WBS Elements at which the project plans to monitor and report functioning. The Control Accounts tin exist any Element in the WBS. In the House Projection, the project manager decides that the project risks associated with using subcontractors tin can exist better managed if the project reports operation for each subcontractor. To monitor their performance, Elements 3.1, iii.2 and iii.3 have been identified as Control Accounts. However, the remaining work in Elements 1.0 and ii.0 will exist performed by visitor resources with less hazard and the project does not experience similar monitoring and controlling is needed at lower Levels. To assist with the monitoring and reporting, project management information tools are used to collect, analyze and written report information at any Element within the WBS.

Create a WBS with the MindView software free trial. Check it out.

Related Links:

clarkalace1961.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/

Share this post