A work breakdown structure or wbs is a common term in project management. The work breakdown structure wbs forms the base for most project management processes. Pdf the work breakdown structure in software project management. What is work breakdown structure in project management. All about work breakdown structures wbs smartsheet. The work breakdown structure wbs is the foundation for project planning and control. Work breakdown structure servello major reference works. A work breakdown structure wbs describes and orders the tasks or activities for a process or project plan. Division of the main work into smaller works depending upon the importance or level of work. Developing and elaborating effective work breakdown structures. In this article we are going to look at what many project managers and project management professionals refer to as the foundation of the project, or at least the foundation of project planning. Simplifying project management neellohit burghate dept.
The work breakdown structure wbs is developed to establish a common understanding of project scope. Work breakdown structure organizes the work to provide value and work towards producing tangible results. A work breakdown structure that integrates different views in. The topdown approach, in my opinion, generates a complete and more accurate wbs. The work breakdown structure wbs divides the entire project into its component elements in order to establish a framework for effective management control of the project scope, schedule and budget. 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 a work breakdown structure permits summing of subordinate costs for tasks. Work breakdown structure format the wbs work breakdown structure may be designed in several shapes, including. Sep 25, 2017 a work breakdown structure or wbs is a common term in project management.
Work breakdown structure project wbs a division of a project into tasks and subtasks. Applying the work breakdown structure to the project. The aircraft modification business carries out a great variety of projects. How can i draw wbs diagrams work breakdown structures in latex. Jan 15, 2002 an example of a typical breakdown of levels in the hierarchical structure for a wbs is provided. A work breakdown structure that integrates different views. A work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical structure of things that the project will make or outcomes that it will deliver this one is far better. International journal of project management 1994 12 3 16571 impact of various work breakdown structures on project conceptualization shiomo globerson school of business administration, tel aviv university, tel aviv 69978, israel for a project to be properly managed, there is a need to generate its work breakdown structure wbs, and to define work packages so that they can be correctly. A work breakdown structure, commonly abbreviated wbs, is a key project deliverable that is utilized to organize a project teams work and responsibilities into compact sections that are more manageable. A work breakdown structure wbs is a description of the work that will be done for a project.
The work breakdown structure is a deliverableoriented, hierarchical decomposition of the work to be completed by the project team. How to improve productivity with a work breakdown structure. Company owners and project managers use the work breakdown structure wbs to make complex projects more manageable. Jul 14, 2017 how project management provides stability in an unstable business world. Another option is the 880 ruling, where no work will consume lesser than 8 hours, or more than 80 hours to be finished. A functional wbs and an organizational wbs structure. A project schedule is the what, when, and who of the project includes the projects deliverables as well as their deadlines and resource requirements. Work breakdown structures overview finance dynamics 365.
The following discussion will examine the current trends and practice regarding work breakdown structures. The work breakdown structure visually defines the scope into manageable chunks that a project team can. One work breakdown structure example that will make it clear. All the work contained within the wbs is to be identified, estimated, scheduled. Also, in such cases like the falling behind of a project, by referring to wbs will help to quickly identify the major deliverables that will be. Work breakdown structures overview finance dynamics. It is a hierarchical description of the work that must be done to complete the deliverables of a project. International journal of project management 1994 12 3 16571 impact of various workbreakdown structures on project conceptualization shiomo globerson school of business administration, tel aviv university, tel aviv 69978, israel for a project to be properly managed, there is a need to generate its workbreakdown structure wbs, and to define work packages so that they can be correctly. Pdf the work breakdown structure in software project. In wrike, you can build a wbs by creating folders and subfolders, and can even go further to divide individual tasks into subtasks.
The way a wbs is defined depends on the person and hisher viewpoint. Work breakdown structure is a type of project management that offers a visual way to detail the deliverables within a project. The design of a work breakdown structure and types of work breakdown structures. Applying work breakdown structure to project lifecycle. For a project to be properly managed, there is a need to generate its work breakdown structure wbs, and to define work packages so that they can be correctly assigned to organizational units. The importance of the wbs experienced project managers know there are many things that can go wrong in projects. There are typically three different forms of the wbs that can be applied to define and allocate work in a software project. The work breakdown structure wbs defines the work scope of a project. Creating the work breakdown structure by kim colenso, managing principal, artemis management systems the work breakdown structure wbs is the foundation for project planning and control. The most common method for defining a wbs is the outlining method in which tasks are defined using a hierarchical structure and numbered using common outlining such as 1, 1. With a work breakdown structure, you can stay focused on what you need to accomplish as you move toward the project deadline.
Practice standard for work breakdown structures pdf. A welldefined and comprehensive wbs that fits the organisational structure and the project system profile is important to increase the probability of project success by ensuring that the best resources. The wbs is designed to help break down a project into manageable chunks that can be effectively estimated and supervised. An example of a typical breakdown of levels in the hierarchical structure for a wbs is provided. Work breakdown structures that subdivide work by project phases e. So, all efforts and resources will be assigned to a clearly defined piece of work. Work breakdown structure describes the what of the project. Work breakdown structure wbs formats uk superior essays. These components are further decomposed until a required person from the team can be assigned. In this article, we will go through some of the breakdown structure examples. In this article, well consider the team members capabilities. What is wbs work breakdown structure in project management. Using work breakdown structure wbs for effective project.
Project management practices 1 work breakdown structure rev e, june 2003 work breakdown structure a project work breakdown structure wbs is a deliverable or product oriented grouping of project work elements shown in graph ical display to organize and subdivide the total work scope of a project. A work breakdown structure wbs is a deliverableoriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Work breakdown structure rev e, june 2003 work breakdown structure a project work breakdown structure wbs is a deliverable or product oriented grouping of project work elements shown in graph ical display to organize and subdivide the total work scope of a project. A wbs is the cornerstone of effective project planning, execution, controlling, monitoring, and reporting. Delivered from our uk warehouse in 3 to 5 business days. It is often described as a resultoriented tree that covers all project procedures in an organized way. The project management institute pmi 2001 define the wbs as a hierarchical structure that defines and organises the total project scope based on deliverables, with each descending level in the hierarchy representing an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the teams work into manageable sections. Impact of various workbreakdown structures on project. Work breakdown structure handbook of industrial engineering. What is a work breakdown structure wbs the project management body of knowledge pmbok defines the work breakdown structure as a deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team.
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. At the conclusion of this lesson you will be able to recognize the relationship between the work breakdown structure wbs, organization breakdown structure obs and responsibility assignment matrix ram. Tex latex stack exchange is a question and answer site for users of tex, latex, context, and related typesetting systems. The project management body of knowledge defines the work breakdown structure as a deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team. It is a hierarchical description of the work that must be. Work breakdown structure article about work breakdown. But to confront the challenges of working in todays volatile economic environment, project managers are increasingly using. Having a structured approach makes it easier to control the project. It looks like the organisational structure of a company or a family tree.
Mar 15, 2018 a work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical structure of things that the project will make or outcomes that it will deliver this one is far better. It does so by presenting key milestones within a hierarchy that simplifies large projects into smaller, more manageable groups. As you can see from this list, you design the tasks in the work breakdown structure to fit your management style and the capabilities of the project team members. A work breakdown structure defines all the things a project needs to accomplish, organized into multiple levels, and displayed graphically.
Work breakdown structures wbs is a term that is used in project management. The work breakdown structure in software project management article pdf available in journal of systems and software. The concept is used each time a new project is designed and is created before entering any data into a microsoft project file. After reading it, you will understand the basics of this powerful project management tool.
A wbs is not a todo list consisting of everything that needs to be done on the project. Preliminary design phase, critical design phase must ensure that phases are. As the work breakdown structure is integrated with an organizational breakdown structure, the project manager will be able to identify the communication points and develop a plan for the whole project. How project management provides stability in an unstable business world. It is the connecting point for work and cost estimates, schedule information, actual work effortcost expenditures, and accountability. There are essentially two ways to create a work breakdown structure the topdown or the bottomup approach.
For a project to be properly managed, there is a need to generate its workbreakdown structure wbs, and to define work packages so that they can be correctly assigned to organizational units. All the work contained within the wbs is to be identified, estimated, scheduled, and budgeted. Work breakdown structure relativistic heavy ion collider. How a work breakdown structure boosts projects success. This article describes one of the most important tools the wbs work breakdown structure for understanding and decomposing project scope and also the various advantagessuccesses that a project team could derive if a wbs is wellprepared and used through the duration of the project. A work breakdown structure in every project management and system engineering is an effective tool that is used for defining and group the discrete elements of work in any project so that it can help the organization, build it in some way and boost the work scope of the whole project. The work breakdown structure wbs is defined by a guide to the project management body of knowledge 3rd edition pmbok guide as. A work breakdown structure wbs is a visual tool for defining and tracking a project deliverable and all the small components needed to create it. It is a tree diagram in which the project is broken down into deliverables and subdeliverables needed to accomplish the project objectives. Jan, 2018 work breakdown structure tasks and team capabilities.
Work breakdown structure wbs purpose, process and pitfalls. The work breakdown structure wbs has long served as a valuable tool in helping project managers plan deliverables and detail project scope. Creating a work breakdown structure wbs helps you be both comprehensive and specific when managing a project. In this approach, the wbs is derived by decomposing the overall project into subprojects or lowerlevel tasks. P a g e 3 work breakdown structures a work breakdown structure is a deliverableoriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Work breakdown structure examples and overview brighthub. Establishing the size of work may become perfect with experience, and subsequently creation of wbs becomes simpler. The wbs may be considered the taxonomy of a project. Work breakdown structure or wbs is a hierarchical tree structure that outlines your project and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable portions.
Work breakdown structures wbs for software development projects. Many people have mistaken wbs as a list of tasks, a schedule or an organization chart. Based on the work breakdown structure formats document attached in the file area, address the level one headings as numbered below. What is a work breakdown structure civil engineers pk.
To get work breakdown structure wbs handbook pdf, make sure you follow the hyperlink below and download the file or get access to other information that are in conjuction with work breakdown structure wbs handbook ebook. Jun 17, 2014 this article describes one of the most important tools the wbs work breakdown structure for understanding and decomposing project scope and also the various advantagessuccesses that a project team could derive if a wbs is wellprepared and used through the duration of the project. Its a hierarchy of tasks that represents the project teams understanding of the composition of work, and of the size, cost, and duration of each component or task. It is the cornerstone of effective project planning, execution, controlling, statusing, and reporting. Analysis of a methodology to obtain a work breakdown. A b s tr ac t the work breakdow n structure wbs is a powerful tool for project management. This article explains the wbs or work breakdown structure in a practical way. How a work breakdown structure boosts projects success rate.
Unfortunately, the business pressures driving projects have often prevented project managers from developing a comprehensive wbs. Organization breakdown structure obs see next page, shows a representative obs. By kim colenso, managing principal, artemis management systems. When a project provides professional services, a common technique is to capture all planned deliverables to create a deliverableoriented wbs. Oct 27, 2016 a work breakdown structure wbs proposes a graphical nature that helps project managers predict results based on various scenarios. Jul 22, 2019 as the work breakdown structure is integrated with an organizational breakdown structure, the project manager will be able to identify the communication points and develop a plan for the whole project. The relationship between the project organization and the work breakdown structure. Free work breakdown structure templates smartsheet. Thinking in detail is critical when planning your project, but you also need to consider the big picture. In reality, wbs is a simple and easy visual breakdown of deliverables for product, result, or service. Work breakdown structure wbs tikz tex latex stack exchange. Managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components.