WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

Work – Sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an

objective.

Breakdown – To divide in categories

Structure – Something arranged in definite pattern organization

WBS as per PMBOK® Guide 2002

“A deliverable-oriented grouping of Project elements that organizes and defines

the total work scope of the project. Each descending level represents an
increasingly detailed definition of the project work.”

The WBS is used in projects to define

The Projects’ work in terms of deliverable and further decomposition of these

deliverables in smaller components

WBS is basis for

• All the effort and cost to be expended

• Responsibility assignment

WBS may be

• Internally Focused – produces deliverables and inputs to other project steps

within company
• Externally Focused – produces deliverables and outputs to other project steps
outside company

Characteristics of WBS:

• Representative of work as an activity

• Arrange in hierarchical structure
• Has objective or tangible result

Project Scope Definition

“The process required to ensure that the project includes all the work required,
and only the work required, to complete the project successfully.
Goals of WBS according to above definition

• Ensure project includes all work needed

• Ensure project doesn’t include unnecessary work

WBS is primary input to

• Activity Definition
• Resource Planning
• Cost Estimating
• Cost Budgeting
• Risk Management Planning

Thought when developing WBS

• Think through the entire project
• Think deliverables
• Think with the end in mind
• Think through the production of deliverables.

Steps for general process of WBS generation

• Identify final product

• Define products major deliverables
• Decomposition of major deliverables
• Decompose major deliverables to appropriate level of details
• Review, refine WBS

Factors to be considered

• Each WBS element shows tangible deliverable

• Each subordinate belongs to one single parent
• Deliverables are logically decomposed
• Deliverables are unique and distinct
• Deliverables are clearly defined
• Deliverables limited in size and definition
• All deliverables are explicitly included in WBS
WBS Level of Details

• Is there need to improve accuracy of cost and duration estimate?

• Is more than one person or group responsible for WBS element?
• Does WBS include more than one type of work process?
• Are there dependencies between deliverables within WBS element to another?
• Do resource requirement changes over time within WBS?
• Are clear Criteria missing for measuring progress?
• Are there specific risks that require to be focused?
• Can a portion of work to be performed in WBS element can be scheduled as unit?
• Is the WBS element clearly and completely understood by all stake holders?

Relation between Project Risk and the WBS

• Are the deliverables completely and clearly defined?

• Will the quality of work be evaluated by testing?
• What is the likelihood of change?
• Is technology is changing faster than the project can be accomplished?
• Is excessive contracting expected?
• Is management committed to project?
• Are requirements defined and approved?
• Has a formal change process has been developed?
• Have metrics been defined?
• Have resource requirement been identified?
• Are third part dependency understood?
• Have alternate suppliers of required products been identified?