What is a work breakdown structure (wbs)? is it the only way to organize a project plan?
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Written by Coursera • Updated on Aug 18, 2022 Show
Learn what a work breakdown structure (WBS) is, when it's used, types of WBSs, how to use this project management tool, and WBS software tools. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a project management tool that decomposes the total scope of work required to deliver a product, service, or project into smaller, more manageable components. A WBS is a snapshot of all the work stakeholders and teams need to complete to successfully finish a project. You’ll use it as a basis for planning projects and identifying and organizing project phases and deliverables. What is a work breakdown structure?A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a useful and widely-used project management tool. You’ll use it to translate strategies and overall objectives into specific goals, schedules, workflows, and action plans. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical view of your project’s scope and is used to organize and plan projects, programs, and portfolios. You can organize each element in the WBS into scheduled activities that will make up the performance measurement baseline (PMB) to help define the deliverables for your project. Why use a WBS in project management?You’ll use work breakdown structures to identify the project tasks that make up the critical path of your project. This enables you to plan your resources, timelines, and priorities. You’ll also have a clearer picture of the risks the project may face as it progresses. Project planning, scheduling, and budgetingThe top level of your WBS represents the project's final deliverable, or end product. It represents the project scope statement. The lower levels break down the scope into more detailed deliverables and tasks. All these sub-elements can have time and cost estimates associated with them. When combined, they form a total estimate of what’s required to complete the project within its defined scope. This makes it possible for you to plan, schedule, and form budgets based on the details of the project rather than relying on high-level guesstimates. Risk management, resource management, task management, and team managementThe work breakdown structure lets you dissect the project to understand how it all fits together and create a Gannt chart that provides clear focus and critical path requirements. When you create a WBS, you’re required to think through each activity in detail to define all the work necessary to complete it. In doing so, you’ll identify risks that may impact your project. These can go on the risk register, and you can then form an appropriate project risk plan. You will also identify the resources needed to complete each task, which will help you plan how many people you need on your team and when you need them. This will help you manage your team during the project life cycle because you can assign each task to a team member with the required expertise. Here are five examples of how you’ll benefit by using a WBS in your project:
Types of WBSThe two types of work breakdown structures are process-oriented and deliverable-oriented. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. 1. Process-oriented WBSA process-oriented WBS decomposes work into the processes needed to accomplish it, such as requirements, design, development, and testing. The advantage of this type of breakdown structure is that it clarifies what needs to be done and who will do it. It also makes it easy to assign resources and estimate time because they can be assigned at each level of the structure. Process, or phase-oriented WBS, is often preferred by clients as they provide clear milestones. 2. Deliverable-oriented WBSA deliverable-oriented WBS decomposes work into tangible products or services, such as database schema, and user manuals. The advantage of this type of breakdown structure is that it gives an overview of the deliverables required for a project. This type of WBS is most appreciated by project teams and management. How to use a work breakdown structureYou use work breakdown structures to define and organize the total scope of a project. The WBS is a hierarchical tree structure. Work packagesA work package is the lowest level in the WBS. It represents the work needed to accomplish a specific deliverable. Once completed, it should be possible to physically hand over the work package to another person. Planning packagesPlanning packages are used as an independent planning horizon for one or more work packages that will be completed in the future. They help to summarize the project plan at different levels. Control accountsControl accounts help control costs and schedules on projects with very large budgets or when a large part of the budget or duration applies to only one or two major deliverables. Control accounts function like work packages with some additional requirements. Control accounts are usually created for major parts of the project, such as phases and key deliverables. Deliverable-based work breakdown structureA deliverable-based work breakdown structure is a hierarchical tree structure of the project and its components. It shows the connection between the project deliverables and the work to be done. The deliverable-based WBS organizes the work horizontally as related activities, providing a view of the entire project from start to finish. Phase-based work breakdown structureA phase-based WBS is a project management philosophy that breaks projects down into phases, each of which has its own purpose and features. The phases are usually broken down into smaller tasks, which are typically further broken down into simpler tasks. What are the elements of work breakdown structure?You can imagine WBS as a series of levels that you unpack. Each level represents a more detailed view of the project work. It is a hierarchical decomposition of what’s required to meet project objectives.
How to make a work breakdown structureThis structure of a WBS helps everyone on the team understand what needs to be completed, who's responsible for each task, how tasks relate to one another, when things should be done and how much they will cost. This is how you make a WBS: 1. Gather critical documents: Gather critical documents, including the project charter, the project management plan, and the risk register. 2. Identify key team members: Review the organizational charts and consider what information you need from each person. 3. Define level 1 elements: List all deliverables or phrases associated with the project. 4. Decompose (breakdown) elements: Break down each item of work into subtasks that can be estimated and scheduled. 5. Create the WBS dictionary: After decomposition, a WBS can be represented as an outline or a diagram. 6. Create a Gannt chart schedule: The schedule is one of the most important components of a project management plan and will be used to monitor progress throughout the life of the project. Read more: Gantt Charts: What They Are and How to Make Them Other use cases of breakdown structureA breakdown structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the project deliverables. The other types of breakdown structures include resource, risk, and organizational breakdown structures. Resource breakdown structureThe resource breakdown structure (RBS) is used to identify all of the resources required to complete each work package in the WBS and for the project. It can be developed by starting with the work packages in the WBS, then collecting all of the resources needed to complete each work package, and finally organizing them into a hierarchical structure based on their similarity or specialty. The goal of the RBS is to ensure that all necessary resources are available to carry out the project and that there are no conflicts in their usage, which could delay the project. Risk breakdown structureA risk breakdown structure (Risk BS) is used to organize risks into categories and subcategories in a way that helps you manage them effectively. Risk categories may be defined by type, risk source, or other means deemed appropriate for your project. A risk category would be something like "cost," "schedule," "quality," or "scope." Risk subcategories would be more specific risk types within each category. For example, under cost risks, you might have subcategories like "labor rates," "material costs," or "budget overruns." Cost breakdown structureA cost breakdown structure (CBS) shows the estimated cost of each element of the project. For example, the cost of a website is made up of hosting, programming, design, and content creation. The CBS makes it easier to estimate and control costs. Organizational breakdown structureAn organizational breakdown structure (OBS) shows how roles are assigned within an organization. For example, a medium-sized online business might have a chief technology officer, chief operating officer, chief executive officer, and other roles, each with different responsibilities. Many free and paid software tools can help you create WBS for your projects. Each has its strong points, and project managers often have a preference based on what they like, from function to the user interface. Here are some common WBS software tools: EdrawMaxEdrawMax is a versatile and capable diagramming application. It covers all aspects of WBS, including flowcharts to floor planning to business process diagrams. It's best suited for people who need a feature-rich tool that covers a wide variety of use cases. LucidchartLucidchart is a cloud-based visual collaboration tool that allows teams to work together on the same diagram with real-time updates and live chat. Lucidchart provides a simple interface that enables you to create professional diagrams without prior experience. SmartDrawSmartDraw is a browser-based tool. It helps you draw flowcharts, organization charts, mind maps, project charts, and more. It’s useful for visualizing projects and individual aspects of a project. Visual ParadigmVisual Paradigm is an extensive software suite that offers everything from project planning to source code management and test case design. This application is best suited for professional developers and managers working on large enterprise projects. MindViewMindView is designed specifically for project managers and business professionals who create mind maps to plan projects, brainstorm solutions, and present ideas visually. Mindview’s collaborative tools allow team members to work together on project planning. CreatelyCreately is an online diagramming application that makes it easy to draw flowcharts, organizational charts, mind maps, and other diagrams online. Creately comes with features such as smart drawing aids that automatically align shapes while drawing flowcharts or other diagrams. You can also use it to collaborate with your colleagues in real-time while working on a project together. Want to learn more about project management?Project management is an in-demand skill, with employers looking for experts who can lead projects that drive positive business outcomes. If you are ready to learn more about project management, explore the Google Project Management Professional Certificate, a six-course program designed for project managers at all levels. professional certificate Google Project Management:Start your path to a career in project management. In this program, you’ll learn in-demand skills that will have you job-ready in less than six months. No degree or experience is required. 4.8 (63,842 ratings) 815,369 already enrolled BEGINNER level Average time: 6 month(s) Learn at your own pace Skills you'll build: Organizational Culture, Career Development, Strategic Thinking, Change Management, Project Management, Stakeholder Management, Business Writing, Project Charter, Project Planning, Risk Management, Task Estimation, Procurement, Quality Management, Project Execution, Coaching, Influencing, Agile Management, Problem Solving, Scrum, Effective Communication Frequently asked questionsRelated articles
Written by Coursera • Updated on Aug 18, 2022 This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals. Can you have a project without WBS?A WBS is not required to be created in any type of order or sequence. It is simply a visual breakdown of deliverables.
What is meant by Work Breakdown Structure WBS?A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a project management tool that takes a step-by-step approach to complete large projects with several moving pieces. By breaking down the project into smaller components, a WBS can integrate scope, cost and deliverables into a single tool.
How can the WBS be used to organize and plan the project?WBS Concepts
It organizes and defines the total scope of the project. Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. The WBS is decomposed into work packages. The deliverable orientation of the hierarchy includes both internal and external deliverables.”
What is a Work Breakdown Structure WBS and why is it important?A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool that can be used for projects, programs, and even initiatives to understand the work that has to be done to successfully produce a deliverable(s). The benefits of creating a WBS include: it defines and organizes the work required.
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