A project manager may use a WBS to manage, estimate, coordinate and monitor the status of a project. An effective work breakdown structure provides an overview of a project by stating the overall goal and breaking large tasks into smaller or more manageable deliverables. This can increase productivity and help teams track their success.
- Include 100% of the work necessary to complete the goal.
- Don't account for any amount of work twice.
- Focus on outcomes, not actions.
- A work package should take no less than 8 hours and no more than 80 hours of effort.
- Include about three levels of detail.
What does WBS stand for?
Work breakdown structure (WBS): what it ... What is the work breakdown structure in project management? What’s included in a work breakdown structure? A work breakdown structure (WBS) visually organizes project deliverables into different levels based on dependencies.
What is Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?
How to Use Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)? A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a decomposition of all the work necessary to complete a project which is arranged in a hierarchy and constructed to allow for clear and logical groupings, either by activities or deliverables.
What is the main principle of WBS?
Its main principle is for the decomposition, development, and evaluation of the WBS. After completion of the project, the Work breakdown structure acts as an asset to the organization. It can be used in all projects and compatible, and makes work easier. Below are the steps created for the project using wbs.
What is activity WBS in project management?
What is WBS? WBS is also said as a work breakdown structure. WBS is the foundation component in project management. The Activity WBS originates from the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK), which is used as a hierarchical decomposition of the subtask work executed in the project.
What is meant by work breakdown structure?
Work breakdown structure takes a large project and, quite literally, breaks it down into smaller components. This makes it easier for teams to iden...
Why should project managers use a WBS?
A work breakdown structure can help project managers “see the forest through the trees” by showing the individual components of a project in one do...
How can a project manager get started with a WBS?
There are several tools and software available to help you create a WBS. Monday, ProjectManager and Wrike all offer templates and tools to guide yo...
Should you use a Gantt chart with WBS?
Many project managers do find that Gantt charts complement WBS well. They help teams to estimate the time frame of individual tasks and visualize t...
Why is WBS prepared?
It is used to guide the project and gives a clear view of the project structure.
PRIMAVERA P6
Primavera is an enterprise model created by Oracle and SAP ERP system most Commonly used as a project planning tool for any project. Even experienced project managers know that things can go wrong, unmanageable situations may arise, the budget may overrun, missed deadlines, and frequent change of scope.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to What is WBS. Here we have discussed the Steps created for the project using WBS and why it is prepared with the elements which are used to create it. You can also go through our other suggested articles to learn more –
What is Work Breakdown Structure?
The Project Management Institute’s PMBOK® Guide—Third Edition defines WBS as “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. It organizes and defines the total scope of the project.
How To Create and Use a WBS Effectively
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. Turns out, there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to the WBS.
WBS Examples, Templates, and Tools
If you’re looking for some guidance, there are many examples, templates and software tools out there to help you create a work breakdown structure for your project. If you want to see some examples of how others have used the WBS as a project management tool, check out WorkBreakdownStructure.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
A work breakdown structure can help project managers “see the forest through the trees” by showing the individual components of a project in one document. 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.
WBS visualization
The structure clearly displays project details and status. The classic view of WBS is the tree structure diagram.
WBS key components
Work Breakdown Structures should gather the project critical elements along with its cost, timeline, and resources. What are the components that the most helpful WBS plans contain?
How to Create the WBS?
There are core 5 steps to develop a simple work breakdown structure. Here they are:
What is a work breakdown structure?
A work breakdown structure provides the foundation and guidelines for a successful project. It itemizes unique tasks, milestones and key elements of a project by organizing them in a hierarchical structure to illustrate which items need to be completed first.
What are the benefits of using a WBS?
Many project managers choose to use a WBS because it provides a clear project overview and guidelines for their team, but using a WBS can provide several additional benefits. Implementing a WBS can help you:
What are the 4 WBS levels?
To create an effective WBS, it's important to understand each of the four WBS levels. Project managers use these levels to prioritize and organize tasks based on what items need to be completed first to complete the final project. The four WBS levels you can implement in your organization are:
6 Benefits of WBS Project Management
According to PMP exam training, there are 6 major benefits of WBS. Now, let’s go over each benefit of WBS one-by-one:
What happens after the creation of WBS?
This figure above shows, which activities can be completed after the creation of WBS Project Management. As you see, WBS is at the heart of the many critical activities in a project.
How to Use WBS?
When a scope change happens, WBS can be helpful to see if the new scope is within the planned scope of the project. There will be changes in a project. Since WBS Project Management shows the overall project scope and deliverables of the project, how to fit the change into the existing project scope can be identified with the help of WBS.
