WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

Work breakdown structure

1. Work breakdown structure (WBS):
A work breakdown structure is a deliverable oriented grouing o! ro"ect
ele#ents t$at organi%es and de!ines t$e total scoe o! t$e ro"ect& Work not in t$e
WBS is outside t$e scoe o! t$e ro"ect& As wit$ t$e scoe state#ent' t$e WBS is
o!ten used to develo or con!ir# a co##on understanding o! ro"ect scoe& Eac$
descending level reresents an increasingl( detailed descrition o! t$e ro"ect
ele#ents& A WBS is nor#all( resented in c$art !or# as illustrated in )igures*
$owever' t$e WBS s$ould not be con!used wit$ t$e #et$od o! resentation +
drawing an unstructured activit( list in c$art !or# does not #ake it a WBS&
Eac$ ite# in t$e WBS is generall( assigned a uni,ue identi!ier* t$ese identi!iers
are o!ten known collectivel( as t$e code of accounts. T$e ite#s at t$e lowest level
o! t$e WBS are o!ten re!erred to as work packages. T$ese work ackages #a( be
!urt$er deco#osed as described !urt$er&
Work ele#ent descritions are o!ten collected in a WBS dictionary. A WBS
dictionar( will t(icall( include work ackage descritions as well as ot$er
lanning in!or#ation suc$ as sc$edule dates' cost budgets' and sta!! assign#ents&
T$e WBS s$ould not be con!used wit$ ot$er kinds o! -breakdown- structures
used to resent ro"ect in!or#ation& Ot$er structures co##onl( used in so#e
alication areas include.
Contractual WBS /CWBS0' w$ic$ is used to de!ine t$e level o! reorting t$at
t$e seller will rovide t$e bu(er& T$e CWBS generall( includes less detail t$an
t$e WBS used b( t$e seller to #anage t$e seller1s work&
2age 3
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
Organi%ational breakdown structure /OBS0' w$ic$ is used to s$ow w$ic$ work
ele#ents $ave been assigned to w$ic$ organi%ational units&
Resource breakdown structure /RBS0' w$ic$ is a variation o! t$e OBS and is
t(icall( used w$en work ele#ents are assigned to individuals&
Bill o! #aterials /BO40' w$ic$ resents a $ierarc$ical view o! die $(sical
asse#blies' sub+asse#blies' and co#onents needed to !abricate a
#anu!actured roduct&
2ro"ect breakdown structure /2BS0' w$ic$ is !unda#entall( t$e sa#e as a
roerl( done WBS& T$e ter# 2BS is widel( used in alication areas w$ere
t$e ter# WBS is incorrectl( used to re!er to a BO4&
2. History of the WBS:
T$e WBS was initiall( develoed b( t$e U&S& de!ense establis$#ent' and it is
described in 4ilitar( Standard /456+STD0 773B /89 4ar :;0 as !ollows. "A
work breakdown structure is a productoriented fa!i"y tree co!posed of
hardware# software# ser$ices# data and faci"ities .... %&t' disp"ays and defines
the product(s) to be de$e"oped and(or produced and re"ates the e"e!ents of
work to be acco!p"ished to each other and to the end product(s)."
5t re,uires so#e #ental disciline to develo a roduct+oriented or deliverable+
oriented grouing o! ro"ect ele#ents adding u to co#rise t$e entire ro"ect
scoe& 5ntuitivel(' we tend to start out wit$ a task+oriented aroac$& T$is is OK
!or ver( s#all ro"ects w$ere e<tensive ro"ect #anage#ent controls will not be
used& T$e task+oriented aroac$ is eas( to understand' because we can easil(
t$ink o! ro"ects as collection o! tasks& A task+oriented WBS can be develoed b(
beginning wit$ a si#le -to+do- list and t$en clustering t$e ite#s in a logical wa(&
T$e logical t$e#e could be ro"ect $ases' !unctional areas' or #a"or end+
roducts&
2age 8
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
5! (our organi%ation will be collecting $istorical data to !or# a cost database' (ou
s$ould tr( to select a standard aroac$ consistent wit$ t$e organi%ation=s long
ter# data collection needs&
). Why is Work Breakdown Structure needed*
Not all ro"ects $ave a WBS' and it is true t$at so#e o! t$ese ro"ects $ave been
success!ul& So w$( is a WBS needed> We $ave alread( looked at a !ew reasons'
but in review' t$e WBS.
2rovides a !ra#ework !or organi%ing and #anaging t$e aroved ro"ect
scoe
?els ensure (ou $ave de!ined all t$e work t$at #akes u t$e ro"ect
2rovides a !ra#ework !or lanning and controlling cost and sc$edule
in!or#ation
5t=s better to be deliberate about lanning t$an rel( on luck@
Additionall(' w$en (ou work !or a co#an( or organi%ation t$at $as #an(
ro"ects being er!or#ed si#ultaneousl(' eac$ o! t$e ro"ects is co#eting !or t$e
li#ited resources available& T$e WBS enables (ou to review ro"ect details and
distinguis$ one ro"ect=s needs !ro# ot$ers wit$in t$e co#an( or organi%ation&
W$( is distinguis$ing one ro"ect !ro# anot$er i#ortant> 5t enables (ou to
identi!( resource re,uire#ents and allocate resources #ore e!!ectivel(&
Now let=s look at rearing a WBS&
+. ,roduct or ,rocess -riented*
T$e WBS was initiall( de!ined as a roduct oriented !a#il( tree' $owever
subse,uent de!initions $ave introduced #ore !le<ibilit( ++ so a WBS can also be
deliverable or rocess oriented& Aour WBS can be built on nouns or verbs& 5! t$e
results o! (our ro"ect are ri#aril( verbs' t$en a verb based or rocess based
WBS #a( #ake #ore sense& 5! (our WBS is to be roduct or deliverable
oriented' t$en (ou can start b( t$inking o! t$e WBS as a arts list !or t$e ulti#ate
2age ;
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
end+ite#s o! (our ro"ect& T$is link will give a si#le illustration o! a product
or process based WBS orientation& T$ese di!!erences are not s$own to tell (ou
w$at is t$e rig$t wa( !or (our ro"ect' but "ust to !a#iliari%e (ou wit$ t$e
distinctions' so (ou can t$ink about t$e# and c$oose w$at1s best !or (our ro"ect&
Figure 1: WBS Format for System Development Projects
.. WBS /u!berin0
WBS ele#ents are usuall( nu#bered' and t$e nu#bering s(ste# #a( be arranged
an( wa( (ou c$oose& T$e conventional nu#bering s(ste# is s$own in t$e !igure
3& T$e s$aded bo< s$own in t$e above slide could be nu#bered 3&8&8&;' w$ic$
would tell (ou it was in t$e second bo< in level 8' t$e second bo< in level ;' and
t$e t$ird bo< in level B&
1. WBS 2ictionary
Once t$e WBS is co#lete# t$e WBS dictionar( needs to be t$e ne<t ite#
develoed& T$e WBS dictionar( is a narrative docu#entation o! t$e e!!ort needed
to acco#lis$ all work de!ined in t$e WBS& T$e WBS dictionar( is develoed !or
t$e lowest level ele#ent in t$e WBS onl(&
2age B
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
To better understand $ow a WBS and a WBS dictionar( work' let3s co#are it to
a book and t$e book=s table o! contents.
T$e WBS is t$e table o! contents !or t$e ro"ect& 5t catures t$e contents in
an organi%ed !as$ion /c$aters' subc$ater0&
T$e WBS dictionar( is t$e book itsel!& 5t tells t$e stor(& 5n our case t$e
stor( is w$at work will be acco#lis$ed and w$at oututs will be roduced
in eac$ o! t$e WBS ele#ents& T$e total o! t$ese descritions is $ow a $ouse
will be built and w$at is needed to build t$e $ouse& T$e WBS dictionar(
will o!ten lead to t$e develo#ent o! t$e state#ents o! work /SOW0 !or t$e
ro"ect& SOWs will be discussed in later #odules&
C& WBS 4o"e
T$e role o! t$e WBS is to.
2artition t$e #a"or ro"ect deliverables into s#aller co#onents to i#rove
t$e accurac( o! cost esti#ates
2rovide a #ec$anis# !or collecting and organi%ing actual costs
2rovide a #ec$anis# !or er!or#ance #easure#ent and control
5. WBS Structure
)igure 8 describes a t(ical $ig$ level WBS structure !or a s#all to #ediu# si%ed
ro"ect& T$e bo< at t$e to /T$e 2ro"ect0 reresents t$e total s(ste# and is re!erred
to as WBS level 3& 6ower levels w$ic$ describe ro"ect co#onents in increasing
detail are nu#bered 8' ;' B and so on&
T$e concet o! WBS level is i#ortant as it allows (ou to designate t$e level o!
detail at w$ic$ (ou reort cost esti#ates and ro"ect cost er!or#ance !igures& )or
e<a#le' to e!!ectivel( #anage a large ro"ect a senior #anager t(icall( needs
su##ar( details o! cost variance at level 8& B( contrast t$e tea# leader
2age 9
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
resonsible !or develoing a level 8 so!tware co#onent needs cost er!or#ance
reorts at level ;&
T$e artitioning o! t$e ro"ect into #a"or co#onents occurs at level 8&
Co#onents at t$is level !all into t$e !ollowing classes.
Figure 2: A typical high level WBS structure for a small to medium sized proect
6. Work breakdown structure te!p"ates.
A work breakdown structure /WBS0 !ro# a revious ro"ect can o!ten be used as
a te#late !or a new ro"ect& Alt$oug$ eac$ ro"ect is uni,ue' WBSs can o!ten be
-reused- since #ost ro"ects will rese#ble anot$er ro"ect to so#e e<tent& )or
e<a#le' #ost ro"ects wit$in a given organi%ation will $ave t$e sa#e or si#ilar
ro"ect li!e c(cles and will t$us $ave t$e sa#e or si#ilar deliverables re,uired
!ro# eac$ $ase&
4an( alication areas $ave standard or se#i+standard WBSs t$at can be used as
te#lates& )or e<a#le' t$e U&S& Deart#ent o! De!ense $as de!ined standard
WBSs !or De!ense 4ateriel 5te#s& A ortion o! one o! t$ese te#lates is s$own
as )igure ;
2age D
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
Figure 3: Sample WBS for Defense Material Items
17. 2eco!position:
Deco#osition involves subdividing t$e #a"or ro"ect deliverables into s#aller*
#ore #anageable co#onents until t$e deliverables are de!ined in su!!icient
detail to suort !uture ro"ect activities /lanning' e<ecuting' controlling' and
closing0& Deco#osition involves t$e !ollowing #a"or stes.

/30 5dentit( t$e #a"or ele#ents o! t$e ro"ect& 5n general' t$e #a"or ele#ents will
be t$e ro"ect deliverables and ro"ect #anage#ent& ?owever' t$e #a"or
ele#ents s$ould alwa(s be de!ined in ter#s o! $ow t$e ro"ect will actuall( be
#anaged& )or e<a#le.
T$e organi%ing rincile wit$in eac$ branc$ o! t$e WBS #a( var('
as illustrated in )igure B&
2age C
S y s t e ! s
8 n 0 i n e e r i n 0
9 a n a 0 e ! e n t
S u p p o r t i n 0
, 9 A c t i $ i t i e s
, r o : e c t
9 a n a 0 e ! e n t
8 ; u i p ! e n t
< a c i " i t i e s
S e r $ i c e s
= r a i n i n 0
= e c h n i c a "
- r d e r s
8 n 0 i n e e r i n 0
2 a t a
9 a n a 0 e ! e n t
2 a t a
2 a t a
A i r f r a ! e
8 n 0 i n e
> o ! ! u n i c a t i o n
/ a $ i 0 a t i o n
< i r e > o n t r o "
A i r ? e h i c " e
- r 0 a n i @ a t i o n a "
A e $ e "
& n t e r ! e d i a t e
A e $ e "
2 e p o t
A e $ e "
S u p p o r t
8 ; u i p ! e n t
> o n s t r u c t i o n
9 a i n t e n a n c e
< a c i " i t i e s
9 o c k B p s
- p e r a t i o n a "
= e s t
2 e $ e " o p ! e n t a "
= e s t
= e s t
= e s t C
8 $ a " u a t i o n
A & 4 > 4 A < = S D S = 8 9 S
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
Figure 4: WBS for Waste Water reatment Plant
/80 Decide i! ade,uate cost and duration esti#ates can be develoed at t$is level
o! detail !or eac$ ele#ent& T$e #eaning o! ade,uate #a( c$ange over t$e
course o! t$e ro"ect + deco#osition o! a deliverable t$at will be roduced !ar
in t$e !uture #a( not be ossible& )or eac$ ele#ent' roceed to Ste B it t$ere
is ade,uate detail and to ste ; i! t$ere is not + t$is #eans t$at di!!erent
ele#ents #a( $ave di!!ering levels o! deco#osition&
/;0 5denti!( constituent ele#ents o! t$e deliverable& Constituent ele#ents s$ould
be described in ter#s o! tangible' veri!iable results in order to !acilitate
er!or#ance #easure#ent& As wit$ t$e #a"or ele#ents' t$e constituent
ele#ents s$ould be de !ined in ter#s o! $ow t$e work o! t$e ro"ect will
actuall( be acco#lis$ed& Tangible' veri!iable results can include services as
well as roducts /e&g&' status reporting could be described as weekly status
reports! !or a #anu!actured ite#' constituent ele#ents #ig$t include several
individual co#onents lus final assem"ly#. Reeat Ste 8 on eac$ constituent
ele#ent&
/B0 Eeri!( t$e correctness o! t$e deco#osition.
Are t$e lower+level ite#s bot$ necessar( and su!!icient !or co#letion
2age 7
E a r l i e r
P h a s e s
P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
C i v i l D r a w i n g s
A r c h i t e c t u r a l D r a w i n g s
S t r u c t u r a l D r a w i n g s
M e c h a n i c a l D r a w i n g s
H V A C D r a w i n g s
P l u m b i n g D r a w i n g s
I n s t r u m e n t a t i o n D r a w i n g s
E l e c t r i c a l D r a w i n g s
D E S I G N
P r o j e c t M a n a g e m e n t
H e a w o r ! s
A e r a t i o n " a s i n
E # # l u e n t P u m $ i n g S t a t i o n
A i r H a n l i n g " u i l i n g
S l u g e " u i l i n g
C % N S & ' ( C & I % N ) a t e r
P h a s e s
* A S & E * A & E '
& ' E A & M E N & P ) A N & t
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
o! t$e ite# deco#osed> 5! not' t$e constituent ele#ents #ust be
#odi!ied /added to' deleted !ro#' or rede!ined0&
5s eac$ ite# clearl( and co#letel( de!ined> 5! not' t$e descritions
#ust be revised or e<anded&
Can eac$ ite# be aroriatel( sc$eduled> Budgeted> Assigned to a
seci!ic organi%ational unit /e&g&' deart#ent' tea#' or erson0 w$o will
accet resonsibilit( !or satis!actor( co#letion o! t$e ite#> 5t not'
revisions are needed to rovide ade,uate #anage#ent control&
T$e work breakdown structure (WBS) needs secial consideration as it la(s
an essential art in t$e rocess& 5t is a $ierarc$ical structure o! ro"ect work
ele#ents in w$ic$ costs associated wit$ t$e lowest+level ele#ents can be
abrogated uwards into related $ig$er+6evel sections o! t$e ro"ect* t$ree t(es
are ossible
3 Organi%ation based
8& 2roduct based'
;& Task based&
Wit$ an organi%ational structure /)igure 90' work is de!ined according to t$e
deart#ent wit$in t$e co#an( t$at does t$e work& W$en costs are collected
t$roug$ t$e ti#e s$eet or bookings s(ste#' cost reorts will s$ow w$ic$
deart#ents or divisions in t$e co#an( $ave been working on t$e ro"ect and
$ow #uc$ $as been sent&
Figure !:"rgani#ational $or% &rea%'o$n
2age :
Company
Division
Department
Section
Group
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
T$e roduct or $(sical structure /)igure D0 gives a cost s(ste# t$at relates costs
to t$e $(sical ele#ents o! t$e roduct& ?ere' w$en costs are collected' t$e( will
s$ow w$at arts o! t$e roduct $ave been worked on and $ow #uc$ $as been
sent on designing or #aking eac$ ele#ent* w$at it #a( not tell is w$o /i&e& w$at
deart#ent0 $as been doing t$e work&
Figure (: Pro'uct)&ase' $or% &rea%'o$n
T$e task or !unctionall( based structure /)igure C0 relates costs to t$e tasks t$at
are e<ected to be er!or#ed Cost reorting in t$is arrange#ent s$ows w$at work
eole $ave been er!or#ing in ter#s o! t$e tasks t$e( nor#all( carr( out& T$is
s(ste# #ig$t see# to o!!er less t$an t$e ot$er two in ter#s o! control but it $as
#uc$ #ore to reco##end it in t$e conte<t o! er!or#ance #easure#ent t$an
eit$er o! t$e ot$ers& T$e reason is t$at in order to assess rogress it is necessar( to
re!er to t$e ro"ect lan and tins is nor#all( structured around t$e activities or
tasks t$at are e<ected to be er!or#ed& Because t$e ot$er structure1s la( t$eir
e#$asis on eit$er /a0 w$o does t$e work or /b0 w$at art o! t$e roduct it relates
to' it is o!ten di!!icult to construct a satis!actor( lan in t$ose !or#ats t$at !ull(
describes t$e lanner1s intentions' !or lanners t$ink in ter#s o! tasks rat$er t$an
co#onents or deart#ents&
2age 3F
Product
Unit
Area
System
Subsystem
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
Figure *: as%)&ase' $or% &rea%'o$n
11. WBS Software: WBS >hart ,ro.
WBS C$art 2ro is a Windows+based ro"ect #anage#ent so!tware alication
t$at is used to create and disla( ro"ects using a Work Breakdown Structure
/WBS0 C$art& A WBS c$art disla(s t$e structure o! a ro"ect s$owing $ow a
ro"ect is organi%ed into su##ar( /$ase0 and detail levels& Using a WBS c$art is
a #ore intuitive aroac$ to lanning and disla(ing a ro"ect&
2age 33
Project
Phase
Chapter
Work
Area
Task
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
12. WBS >hart ,ro can be used for pro:ect p"annin0
As a lanning tool' use WBS C$art 2ro to ,uickl( sketc$ a ro"ect lan on t$e
screen using a GTo+DownH aroac$& Click wit$ t$e #ouse to de!ine 2$ases
/Su##ar( Tasks0 and Subtasks& Double+click a task to add sc$edule in!or#ation
like Duration' Start Date' )inis$ Date' Cost' Work' etc& WBS C$art 2ro
auto#aticall( rolls u /su##ari%es0 t$e data to eac$ level o! t$e c$art& Assign
resources' track costs' $ours and co#letion' all !ro# wit$in WBS C$art 2ro&&&
2lans created in WBS C$art 2ro can be #aintained and #anaged searatel('
trans!erred directl( to 4icroso!t 2ro"ect or trans!erred to an( rogra# t$at can
read t$e G42IH !ile !or#at& Aou can trans!er a WBS c$art to 4icroso!t 2ro"ect at
an( ti#e wit$ t$e si#le click o! a button& All o! t$e in!or#ation (ou entered in
WBS C$art 2ro is auto#aticall( trans!erred to 4icroso!t 2ro"ect&
Alt$oug$ WBS C$art 2ro can work sea#lessl( wit$ 4icroso!t 2ro"ect you do not
need 9icrosoft ,ro:ect to use WBS >hart ,ro as a standa"one app"ication&
Aou can use WBS C$art 2ro all b( itsel! to create WBS c$arts like t$e one s$own
above&
1). WBS >hart ,ro can be used with 9icrosoft ,ro:ect
WBS C$art 2ro can be used to generate WBS c$arts directl( !ro# e<isting
4icroso!t 2ro"ect lans& WBS C$art 2ro uses t$e Outline created in 4icroso!t
2ro"ect to generate a $ierarc$ical view o! t$e data& A WBS toolbar button can be
installed into 4icroso!t 2ro"ect !or eas( trans!er o! data& As (ou organi%e and
c$ange (our ro"ect in 4icroso!t 2ro"ect' a WBS c$art o! t$at data is onl( a
button awa(&
T$e inter!ace between 4icroso!t 2ro"ect and WBS C$art 2ro is co#letel(
sea#less and bi+directional& W$en (ou create a WBS c$art o! an e<isting
4icroso!t 2ro"ect lan' all c$anges #ade in t$e WBS c$art are i!!ediate"y
re!lected in t$e 4icroso!t 2ro"ect lan& T$is #eans t$at (ou can add' delete'
2age 38
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
reorgani%e and udate tasks in (our 4icroso!t 2ro"ect lan using t$e WBS c$art&
No ot$er c$arting so!tware on t$e #arket toda( allows t$is level o! !unctionalit(
!or #anaging (our 4icroso!t 2ro"ect lans&
5n addition' WBS c$arts can be created !irst in WBS C$art 2ro and t$en
trans!erred directl( to 4icroso!t 2ro"ect& W$en a WBS c$art is trans!erred to
4icroso!t 2ro"ect' all o! t$e task and resource in!or#ation entered into t$e WBS
c$art is auto#aticall( trans!erred to 4icroso!t 2ro"ect w$ere additional
sc$eduling can be er!or#ed& Aou can t$en continue to switc$ back and !ort$
between 4icroso!t 2ro"ect and WBS C$art 2ro as needed&
1+. WBS and Acti$ities in 9S ,ro:ect
2age 3;
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
2age 3B
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
1.. WBS and Acti$ities in ,ri!a$era ,ro:ect ,"anner
1. ,ro:ect
1.1 9a:or task 1
1.1.1 Subtask 1 of !a:or task 1
1.1.1.1 Acti$ity 1 of subtask 1
1.1.1.2 Acti$ity 2 of subtask 1
1.1.2 Subtask 2 of !a:or task 2
1.2 9a:or task 2
1.2.1 Subtask 1 of !a:or task 2
1.2.2 Subtask 2 of !a:or task 2
1.) 9a:or task )
11. Su!!ary
T$e Work Breakdown Structure /WBS0 $els (ou identi!( and seci!(
all t$e tasks associated wit$ t$e ro"ect&
A good WBS is based uon
o A well de!ined scoe !or t$e ro"ect
o A set o! s(ste# re,uire#ents
o A good understanding o! t$e ro"ect riorities
T$e WBS #a( need to be re!ined and udated !or eac$ ro"ect $ase
A co#lete and well organi%ed WBS will $el assure good sc$edule
and cost esti#ates
2age 39
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
2age 3D