WBS
WBS
WBS
Prepared by:
Module 2: Work Breakdown Structure
This module will include defining and illustrating the following topics:
WBS dictionary
Over the years, it was determined that project managers needed a tool to help
capture and control their project scope. This led to the development of a
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a tool that defines a project and
groups the projects discrete work elements in a way that helps organize and
define the total work scope of the project. A WBS element may be a product,
data, a service, or any combination. WBS also provides the necessary
framework for detailed cost estimating and control along with providing
guidance for schedule development and control. Additionally the WBS is a
dynamic tool and can be revised and updated as BEST Management
Books
needed by the project manager. 1.
all the work and products 1.1.1.1.1 1.1.1.1.2 1.1.1.1.3 1.1.1.2.1 1.1.1.2.3 1.1.1.3.2
After reviewing the WBS on the previous page, an important point needs to be
reviewed. Although a WBS can be depicted so as to look like an
organizational chart, it IS NOT an organizational chart.
BEST Management
Books
1.
Not all projects have a WBS, and it is true that some of these projects have been
successful. So why is a WBS needed? We have already looked at a few
reasons, but in review, the WBS:
Provides a framework for organizing and managing the approved project
scope
Helps ensure you have defined all the work that makes up the project
Provides a framework for planning and controlling cost and schedule
information
Its better to be deliberate about planning than rely on luck!
Additionally, when you work for a company or organization that has many
projects being performed simultaneously, each of the projects is competing for
the limited resources available. The WBS enables you to review project
details and distinguish one projects needs from others within the company or
organization. Why is distinguishing one project from another important? It
enables you to identify resource requirements and allocate resources more
effectively.
In preparing a WBS there are a number of steps that need to be taken to make
sure the WBS developed will help manage your project. Below and on the
following pages we will discuss these steps.
1. Identify final project products necessary for achieving project success. The
WBS should assist the project manager in developing a clear vision of the
end product. You need to answer the following question:
What must be delivered to achieve project success?
You may need to review the project scope documents for guidance.
4. Review and refine the WBS until the stakeholders agree with the level of
project planning and reporting.
Remember that no matter how detailed a WBS is, there are planning
and reporting restrictions a WBS creates. On the following pages, we
will look at examples of these restrictions.
Lets use the BEST Management Books WBS we looked at earlier. Assume
that the WBS was only planned down to the chapters level (see graph
below, left), but after the first month of work, the stakeholder wants reporting
at the subchapter level (see graph below, right). Without restructuring the
WBS and changing the other supporting systems, like cost tracking and
reporting, it is impossible for the project manager to meet the stakeholders
request.
Writing Writing
Text Book Text Book
1.1.1 1.1.1
Now lets reverse the situation. Assume WBS was planned down to the
subchapter level (see graph below, left), but after the first month of work, the
stakeholder wants reporting at the chapter level (see graph below, right). Is
there any restructuring needed to the WBS? The answer is No. Since you
planned the work at a level below what is now the stakeholders
requirement, you can roll-up and meet the stakeholders request.
Do you still see a problem with the project WBS? Lets take a look.
.
Project
Selection
Project
Organization
Organization
Project
Planning
Budget &
Cost
Scheduling
Scheduling
1.1.1.2.2
Project
Controls
1.1.1.1.1 1.1.1.1.2 1.1.1.1.3 1.1.1.2.1 1.1.1.2.3
Module 2 Work Breakdown Structure 9
Prepared by: Booz Allen Hamilton
Preparing a WBS
Actually, there is not a problem with the WBS structure, but a problem with the
idea of time and cost. The project manager spent time and resources to
define the WBS down to a level that he determined was appropriate. The
only benefit could be that the project manager wishes to manage the
project at the lower level and will roll-up reporting for the stakeholder.
In review, always get stakeholders to agree with the level of project planning
and reporting.
In developing a WBS, one must realize that there are multiple ways to develop
a WBS for any given project. Some ways might be better than others, but
the two most important item to remember are that the WBS must contain all
approved scope and the Project Manager must develop the WBS to reflect
the way he/she intends to manage the project.
On the following two pages are examples of alternative WBS structures for
the BEST Management Books project.
Armed with the basics of the WBS, it is time to examine them in more detail and
to begin to understand how to build one. To do this, lets look at building a
WBS for the construction of a single family home. First, take a moment to
familiarize yourself with some background information about the construction
company, which appears on the next page.
The ACME Housing Corporation, which you own, has been contracted to build
its first house. You want to be able to manage your projects effectively and
efficiently, so you charge your project managers to develop an appropriate
WBS. You decide to manage the project by the individual tasks necessary to
complete the house.
You hope that this is the first of many houses that ACME will build, so you start
the WBS with ACME in the highest position, or Level 1. Accordingly, Level 1
is given a WBS code of 1. You assign the WBS code of 1 to the highest level
because all future projects (houses) will be summarized at Level 1.
With Level 1 established, you can begin to complete the WBS. But what should
the next level be?
The logical next level for ACME is the project level. Level 2 is the level for each
individual project, or house, that ACME undertakes. As the chart shows
below, Level 2 is identified at the project level: House.
Appropriately, the code for Level 2 corresponds to Level 1. In this case, the
code is 1.1.
Level 1
Level 2
Now the WBS for the housing project is complete, right? Actually, no, the WBS
is not complete. At this point you determine that you want to divide the work
into the major elements needed to build a house. You choose to divide Level
3 into six elements: concrete, framing, plumbing, electrical, interior and
roofing. You realize that these are both major deliverables and milestones for
managing the project. They also enable you to get to your goal of managing
the project by task.
Notice the WBS codes at level 3. Each is unique to the project and starts with
the WBS code from the level above (11.11.1.1). Now lets look and see
if another level is needed.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Module 2 Work Breakdown Structure 17
Prepared by: Booz Allen Hamilton
WBS: Structure
The ACME WBS is taking shape, but it does not quite define the project at a
level that shows needed tasks for completion. To do this, one more level
needs to be included.
Level 4 of the WBS will enable us to manage
the project as desired. All of our contractors
fit into specific elements at level 4, and so
do all specific departments. As with the Level 1
previous Levels, note the WBS codes that
have been assigned to the tasks and their
Level 2
relationship to the previous Level.
Level 3
Level 4
What do you think? Is the WBS complete? Does it enable the manager to
manage at the task level?
After a review to make sure that only approved scope is included, our WBS is
complete. It does include the necessary components to manage the project
by task.
Now that you understand the WBS and how to assemble one, lets examine
how it relates to earned value.
In Module 1, we discussed that in implementing earned value, a project
manager must have control of the projects triple constraint (scope,
schedule and cost). Unlike traditional management, which tracks two
components (budget and expenditures), earned value considers three and
provides a more robust understanding of a projects overall progress and
health.
The WBS is the most important item in defining and controlling the project
scope. How does it control the scope? If the WBS is not developed correctly
and does not capture all the project scope and only the project scope, then
the earned value system built using the WBS will be inaccurate. The project
manager will lose control of the project before it even begins.
Now that you have your WBS, lets take a look on the next page at the other
item needed to properly organize your project.
Once the WBS is complete, the WBS dictionary needs to be the next item
developed. The WBS dictionary is a narrative documentation of the effort
needed to accomplish all work defined in the WBS. The WBS dictionary is
developed for the lowest level element in the WBS only.
To better understand how a WBS and a WBS dictionary work, lets compare it
to a book and the books table of contents:
The WBS is the table of contents for the project. It captures the
contents in an organized fashion (chapters, subchapter).
The WBS dictionary is the book itself. It tells the story. In our case the
story is what work will be accomplished and what outputs will be
produced in each of the WBS elements. The total of these descriptions
is how a house will be built and what is needed to build the house.
The WBS dictionary will often lead to the development of the statements of
work (SOW) for the project. SOWs will be discussed in later modules.
Now that our WBS is developed, the appropriate resources and responsibilities
need to assigned. The first step in doing this is developing the
Organizational Breakdown Structure (OBS) for the project. The OBS
indicates the organizational relationships and is used as the framework for
assigning work responsibilities. Below is an example of the OBS for the
ACME house building project. The OBS is structured by Responsible
Department and then by Performing Department at the lowest level. This
Performing Department level is were the responsibility and resource needed
to accomplish the project will be assigned.
PROJECT OFFICE
RESP DEPT
B. Smithers
Merging the WBS and OBS, the project manager creates a Responsibility
Assignment Matrix (RAM). The RAM displays the lowest level of both the
WBS and the OBS. The integration identifies specific responsibility for
specific project tasks. It is at this
point that the project manager
develops control accounts or work
package. Control accounts and
work packages will be discussed
in Module 4. Lets look at what the
RAM may look like on the ACME
house construction project on the
next page.
PERF DEPT 3010
R. Oriely
PLUMBING
RESP DEPT
K. Wells
GAS
R. Lee
Responsibility
RESP DEPT
ELECTICAL
WIRING
P. Ottis
J. Sims
PROJ ECT OFFICE
B. Smithers
RESP DEPT
Assignment Matrix
PERF DEPT 5010
DRYWALL
ROOFING
D. Smith
Y. Taylor
R. Sites
RESP DEPT
P. Tate
M. Manning
MASONRY
T. Greams
RESP DEPT
TEST
R. Kelly
CIVIL
Alternatively, hours and dollars may be used in the RAM rather than an X.
Using our ACME House example, the X was replaced with the hours
needed to complete the task. Now we see that Mr. Sites has 300 hours to
frame the exterior walls, 250 hours to frame the interior walls and 175 hours
to install the roofing trusses.
CONCRETE FRAMING PLUMBING
1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.3
Frame Frame Install Install
Pour Pour Exterior Interior Roofing Water Install Gas Install B/K
Foundation Install Patio Stairway Walls Walls Trusse Lines Lines Fixtures
Performing Dept. Manager 1.1.1.1 1.1.1.2 1.1.1.3 1.1.2.1 1.1.2.2 1.1.2.3 1.1.3.1 1.1.3.2 1.1.3.3
CONCRETE
DEPT 6010 Manning 200 125 85
MASONRY
DEPT 6020 Greams 50
TEST
DEPT 6030 Neumann 20 10 5
CARPENTRY
DEPT 5010 Sites 300 250 175
ROOFING
DEPT 5020 Taylor 100
DRYWALL
DEPT 5030 Smith 275
WIRING
DEPT 4010 Johnson
HOOKUP/TIE-IN
DEPT 4020 Ottis
WATER/SEWER
DEPT 3010 Wells 100 15
GAS
DEPT 3020 Oriely 125 25
Module 2 Work Breakdown Structure 27
Prepared by: Booz Allen Hamilton
Review of Module 2
At this point we have examined the WBS, OBS and RAM. These items are the
start for laying the groundwork for developing an earned value management
system (EVMS). In the next module you will examine these item in more
detail by looking at the development of control accounts, work packages
and the cost estimate.
If you have a firm grasp of the concepts covered in this module, feel free to
progress to the next module. Otherwise, review this module to ensure you
have a solid understanding of the basics for developing a WBS, OBS and
RAM