Article compiled by: Arif Ul Haq
Student of MBA Class of 2010
According to Project Management Body of Knowledge Fourth Edition “A Work Breakdown Structure is 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.” Projects success is heavily dependent upon comprehensive planning and the quality of planning is judged by the quality of work breakdown structure.
Approaches for WBS Development
Following methods are used to create WBS.
Methods for Creating WBS
Project Managers use different tools and methods to create a WBS such as templates, organizational standards, organization charts, brainstorming techniques, fishbone diagrams, top-down and bottom-up methodology. Tools ensure consistency and reuse of best and successful practices. Ultimately these best practices develop into guidelines and standards.
The choice of the method should be linked to specific objectives, assumptions requirements, and constraints of the specific projects
Top-Down
The following steps describe the general top-down process for developing a WBS:
Top down approach is appropriate when:
Bottom-Up
This is reverse of the above process and we start from bottom instead of top.
WBS (Organizational) Standards
Most well established organizations have WBS standard (specified methods for constructing a WBS). This could be a nomenclature, format, numbering scheme, list of required elements. All these standards ensure that consistent and complete WBSs are created for successful projects.
Examples may include
WBS Templates
A WBS template is a pre-formatted sample for WBS and the project manager has options to change hierarchy of WBS elements partially filled in to few level. e.g Organization may have templates for construction projects. An organization generally have different templates for projects of varied nature and complexity. Templates ensure consistency and time reduction in planning.
Final Words
WBS is not linear but iterative process and quality WBS require to use more than one option. Generally top down and template are used for defining overall structure and then bottom up to ensure that all the required WBS elements are included.
The following features must be present in WBS
References
Student of MBA Class of 2010
According to Project Management Body of Knowledge Fourth Edition “A Work Breakdown Structure is 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.” Projects success is heavily dependent upon comprehensive planning and the quality of planning is judged by the quality of work breakdown structure.
Approaches for WBS Development
Following methods are used to create WBS.
- Deliverable-Based: It defines project work in terms of the physical or functional components which make up the deliverable/product. This method is also known as noun based or product breakdown method as the WBS element is a noun e.g Cooling subsystem, Sensing Module, Infrared detector etc. This approach is recommended by PMI, USA.
- Task Based: It defines the project work in terms of the actions ot tasks which must be done to create the project deliverable. These tasks could be any verb like create, develop, improve or optimize, shift, integrate, run, do, test, complete etc. This is also know as verb based method.
- Time Based: It defines the project work in terms of time phases instead of tasks or deliverable. However this method use extensive iterations and sometimes become real problem to manage the project. 4. Cost Based: This approach defines project work in terms of cost but this is seldom used. Other approaches may also be used specific to the project nature and complexity and requirements and assumptions.
Methods for Creating WBS
Project Managers use different tools and methods to create a WBS such as templates, organizational standards, organization charts, brainstorming techniques, fishbone diagrams, top-down and bottom-up methodology. Tools ensure consistency and reuse of best and successful practices. Ultimately these best practices develop into guidelines and standards.
The choice of the method should be linked to specific objectives, assumptions requirements, and constraints of the specific projects
Top-Down
The following steps describe the general top-down process for developing a WBS:
- Step 1: Visualize the desired final deliverable of the project to be accepted by sponsor/customer. e.g mobile phone
- Step 2: Breakdown the product into parts that make up the final product. e.g hardware and software for mobile phone.
- Step 3: Repeat step 2 to further decompose major parts into sub parts/deliverables to an extent that these parts are easily manageable and controllable. e.g Mobile Phone can be broken down into Hardware, Software, Accessories and User Manual
- Step 4: Refine and continue to break up the above mentioned subparts to appropriate level on which project stakeholders are satisfied about the planning and execution of the project.
Top down approach is appropriate when:
- Project team members are novice to WBS development.
- The project is complex natured and the scope and life cycle is ambiguous.
- No templates and organizational standards are available.
Bottom-Up
This is reverse of the above process and we start from bottom instead of top.
- Start with identification of all of work packages which branch up to final desired product. every single work package should correspond to only one interim/final deliverable. •
- Group functionally same work packages (or deliverables) together to create design elements of the product that can be arranged in different ways to create different designs of the same product.
- Unify these interim deliverables to the next level, for instance, the parent level. The sum of the elements at each level should represent 100% of the work below it, as noted in the 100% Rule.
- After parent child relationship have been established review that all project work is included in compliance with 100% rule.
- Ensure that project stakeholders are satisfied that project planning can be efficiently executed and controlled and desired deliverables/results will be produced consequently.
- Nature of project/product is well understood.
- The project scope and life cycle is clear.
- Appropriate templates and organizational standards are available.
WBS (Organizational) Standards
Most well established organizations have WBS standard (specified methods for constructing a WBS). This could be a nomenclature, format, numbering scheme, list of required elements. All these standards ensure that consistent and complete WBSs are created for successful projects.
Examples may include
- Level specification for WBS element. e.g last WBS element should be 4% of overall product.
- Textual/Graphical/Simulated which WBS views must be developedIf WBS standards exist it should be used but project manager must be watchful and consider the nature and complexity of new projects. If it is significantly different then WBS should be developed from the scratch.
WBS Templates
A WBS template is a pre-formatted sample for WBS and the project manager has options to change hierarchy of WBS elements partially filled in to few level. e.g Organization may have templates for construction projects. An organization generally have different templates for projects of varied nature and complexity. Templates ensure consistency and time reduction in planning.
Final Words
WBS is not linear but iterative process and quality WBS require to use more than one option. Generally top down and template are used for defining overall structure and then bottom up to ensure that all the required WBS elements are included.
The following features must be present in WBS
- It must observe 100% rule i.e include all the work
- Deliverable oriented
- Have hierarchy of deliverables.
- Assist in accurate cost and resource estimation.
- Single WBS element corresponds to deliverable
- Whole set of deliverables explicitly stated in the WBS and Deliverables are unique and distinct.
- Reporting, meetings, reports (monthly, weekly or quarterly), and test reports are properly identified and included.
- Each work package should be assignable to a project team member.
References
- Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures 2nd edition, p 28-31, Project Management Institute, USA
- Heldman, Kim. PMP-Project Management professional Guide 5th edition, (2009), p 120-128, Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
- Green, Jennifer and stellman, Andrew: Head First PMP 2nd edition, p 186-188, O’Reilly Media, Inc. 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472.
