A b s tr ac t the work breakdow n structure wbs is a powerful tool for project management. 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. A wbs is arranged in a hierarchy and constructed to allow for clear and logical groupings, either by activities or deliverables. A work breakdown structure wbs provides a consistent and visible framework for. Construction phase work breakdown structure construction initiation addenda construction operations construction completion asbuilt plans bids advertisement communications project briefing meeting. It breaksdown the project into lowlevel subtask units of work that will be scheduled, executed and controlled.
In the scope management knowledge area, the required work is defined. Concept development wbs work breakdown structure dictionary. Work breakdown structure relativistic heavy ion collider. A work breakdown structure wbs in project management is a tool used to define and group a projects discrete work elements or tasks in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project. The wbs was initially employed by the defense department of us, which directed its application on their projects. 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. As the work breakdown structure wbs identifies the work to be done, the organization breakdown structure obs identifies the people that will do the work. All the work contained within the wbs is to be identified. Using work breakdown structure wbs for effective project. The following discussion will examine the current trends and practice regarding work breakdown structures. A wbs work breakdown structure is a project management tool that is planned to capture project activities in an illustrative diagram. A work breakdown structure in project management and. The public information center pic obtains public input for the preliminary preferred. How to improve productivity with a work breakdown structure.
Editable work breakdown structure template to plan your work. All about work breakdown structures wbs smartsheet. From the time the first edition of the practice standard for work breakdown structures was being developed a little. A pbs is often also called as product oriented work breakdown.
The importance of the wbs experienced project managers know there are many things that can go wrong in projects. Once the elements of the wbs have been defined, resource requirements are determined for each element. The work breakdown structure wbs has long served as a valuable tool in helping. 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. Applying the work breakdown structure to the project.
The work breakdown structure wbs is a powerful tool for project management. These components are further decomposed until a required. Wbs 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. The placement of an activity on the wbs is maintained directly on the activity record. Organisation breakdown structure describes the structure of the delivering organisation that can then be matched to work packages in the wbs.
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. 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. Is it completely separate from the dependency network, with nothing in common, or do these two key project management tools share some common elements. Apr 27, 2020 in the scope management knowledge area, the required work is defined. Pdf work breakdown structure wbs dictionary development for. The efficiency of a work breakdown structure can determine the success of a project. Activities by cindy berg, pmp, and kim colenso, pmp pm network, april 2000 does the wbs include activities, or should it. The following discussion will examine the current trends and practice regarding work. Offering a clear definition of the wbs and its purpose, the author focuses on the underlying techniques that project stakeholders can use to create a project wbs, clarifies the differences between the project wbs and project. In wrike, you can build a wbs by creating folders and subfolders, and can even go further to divide individual tasks into subtasks. Determining work and tasks sizes work breakdown structure wbs different approaches for developing a wbs notations for work breakdown structures heuristics and examples starting with. Le wbs selon le guide pmbok work breakdown structure. Pdf in the construction project plan, a description of the project work that will be.
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. Determining work and tasks sizes work breakdown structure wbs different approaches for developing a wbs notations for work breakdown structures heuristics and examples starting with templates how to identify work what do we do with risky tasks. Rather than focusing on individual actions that must be taken to accomplish a project, a wbs generally focuses on deliverables or concrete, measurable milestones. The breakdown of the work package might then be done by the project team for that work package or even an external vendor. A wbs takes a similar approach but shows the work required to create the products.
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. New milstd881c work breakdown structures for defense. Wbs 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. A work breakdown structure, commonly abbreviated wbs, is a key project deliverable. A work breakdown structure showing clinic database system.
It breaksdown the project into lowlevel subtask units of work that will be. A work breakdown structure in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. In this way, the project manger will have constructed a work breakdown structure that directly links to sponsoring documents and provides a basis for project schedule and process management, yet is designed to grow and flex with the changes that impact the project in a controlled and controllable manner. A pbs is often also called as product oriented work breakdown structure. But to confront the challenges of working in todays volatile economic environment, project managers are increasingly using.
A wbs is the cornerstone of effective project planning, execution, controlling, monitoring, and reporting. The wbs was initially employed by the defense department of us. These chunks can be easily supervised and estimated. 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. Oct 27, 2016 managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components. It is the connecting point for work and cost estimates, schedule information, actual work effortcost expenditures, and accountability. With a work breakdown structure, you can stay focused on what you need to accomplish as you move toward the project deadline. With a work breakdown structure, you can stay focused on.
A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the teams work into manageable sections. Figures 1 and 2 provide examples of a wbs for the building of a table. You can edit this work breakdown structure using creately diagramming tool and include in your reportpresentationwebsite. Development of work breakdown structure wbs iopscience. It organizes and defines the total scope of the project. Product breakdown structure pbs and work breakdown structure wbs are widely used in project management. Pdf the construction works of flyover is common in a developing country as. Apr 10, 20 in wbs, much larger tasks are brokendown to manageable chunks of work. A work breakdown structure or wbs for short is a chart or document used to organize project work into a list of focus areas so that all work stays on track to meet project goals. The work breakdown structure wbs is a means of organizing. 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. For that, we need wbs work breakdown structure and its dictionary as a. This representative organization breakdown structure looks like a family tree with a block at the top representing the company xyz inc. Developing and elaborating effective work breakdown structures.
All the work contained within the wbs is to be identified, estimated, scheduled, and budgeted. Applying work breakdown structure to project lifecycle. The placement of an activity on the wbs is maintained. This is useful particularly when work will be performed by business staff seconded to the project or by specialist teams working on more than one project. It is generally recognized by project management professionals that the work breakdown structure wbs is the foundation of planning, estimating, scheduling, and monitoring activities. The work breakdown structure wbs is a vehicle for breaking an engineering project down into subproject, tasks, subtasks, work packages, and so on. A work breakdown structure element may be a product, data, a. Different peoples working within the field of project management has different understanding of what wbs and pbs means.
Work breakdown structure a work breakdown structure wbs is a decomposition of all the work necessary to complete a project. Pdf development of work breakdown structure wbs dictionary. How to create a work breakdown structure lucidchart blog. Work breakdown structure element dictionary concept development procedures are subject to change without notice. In programs or large projects, a work package may be at a level requiring further decomposition into its own work breakdown structure. Unfortunately, the business pressures driving projects have often prevented project managers from developing a comprehensive wbs. A work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical outline of the tasks needed to deliver the projects product or service. This article describes one of the most important tools the wbs work breakdown structure for understanding and decomposing project scope and also the various. Pdf the work breakdown structure in software project management. Pdf the work breakdown structure in software project. Understanding work breakdown structures the wbs of a project is represented by a hierarchical grid that shows project activities and their relationships. The work breakdown structure wbs is widely used by project managers and stakeholders, yet the purpose and content of this important tool is widely misunderstood. Work breakdown structure wbs purpose, process and pitfalls.
May 28, 20 product breakdown structure pbs and work breakdown structure wbs are widely used in project management. What are the 4 aspects of work breakdown structure wbs. Check the capital project delivery website to ensure this is the current version. Edit this wbs template online using our tool and easily visualize your project work. The project management body of knowledge defines the work breakdown structure as a. 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. One work breakdown structure example that will make it clear. Managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components. It relates the elements of work to be accomplished to each other and to the end product. The work breakdown structure wbs has long served as a valuable tool in helping project managers plan deliverables and detail project scope. The work breakdown structure wbs is defined by a guide to the project management body of knowledge 3rd edition pmbok guide as. By kim colenso, managing principal, artemis management systems. The wbs provides the foundation for all project management work, including, planning, cost and effort estimation, resource allocation, and scheduling. Product breakdown structure vs work breakdown structure.
The lowest level of a wbs shows the activities that would be used to create a network diagram for time scheduling. These components are further decomposed until a required person from the team can be assigned. Work breakdown structures in large projects how detailed should a wbs be. This sdlc handbook is organized around a standard work breakdown structure wbs has been developed to describe the typical work conducted during a systems development project. A wbs is arranged in a hierarchy and constructed to allow for clear. 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 or wbs is a hierarchical tree structure that outlines your project and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable portions. 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. This paper examines how project managers can appropriately use a wbs to.
Therefore, one should take creating wbs as a critical step in the process of project management. In wbs, much larger tasks are brokendown to manageable chunks of work. Collaboration features to do the breakdown as a team. Doe office of management, budget and evaluation work breakdown structure project management practices guide, revision e dated june 2003. What is work breakdown structure in project management. The breakdown of the work package might then be done by the project. Work breakdown structure practice standard projectwbs vs. View work breakdown structure research papers on academia. A work breakdown structure starts with a large project or objective and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable pieces that you can reasonably evaluate and assign to teams.
From the time the first edition of the practice standard for work breakdown structures was being developed a little more than five years ago, there has been a vast expansion in rapid electronic access to information through the internet, cdroms. The work breakdown structure wbs is the foundation for project planning and control. In wrike, you can build a wbs by creating folders and. Clinic database system editable work breakdown structure. Dec 26, 2019 a work breakdown structure wbs milstd881d is a tool used to define a project in discrete work elements in a hierarchical format. A work breakdown structure wbs in project management is a tool used to define and group a projects discrete work elements or tasks in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the. With the development of wbs and dictionary of wbs, the project stages. A work breakdown structure wbs is a fundamental project management technique for defining and organizing the total scope of a project, using a hierarchical tree structure. Pmp scope management also ensures that all of that work and only that work is done. This is where all the work component descriptions are documented. It displays and defines the product, or products, to be developed andor produced. It is the cornerstone of effective project planning, execution, controlling, statusing, and reporting.
Free work breakdown structure templates smartsheet. Applying work breakdown structure to project lifecycle pmi. A work breakdown structure element may be a product, data, a service, or any combination. Work breakdown structure templates editable online or.