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WHAT IS WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE?

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 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. A WBS is the cornerstone of effective
project planning, execution, controlling, monitoring, and reporting. All the work contained
within the WBS is to be identified, estimated, scheduled, and budgeted.

Breaking work into smaller tasks is a common productivity technique used to make
the work more manageable and approachable. For projects, the Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS) is the tool that utilizes this technique and is one of the most important
project management documents. It singlehandedly integrates scope, cost and schedule
baselines ensuring that project plans are in alignment.
There are two types of WBS: 1) Deliverable-Based and 2) Phase-Based. The most
common and preferred approach is the Deliverable-Based approach. The main
difference between the two approaches are the Elements identified in the first Level of
the WBS.

Work breakdown structure or WBS in project management is a method for getting a

complex, multi-step project done. It's a way to divide and conquer large projects so you
can get things done faster and more efficiently.

The goal of a WBS is to make a large project more manageable. Breaking it down
into smaller chunks means work can be done simultaneously by different team
members, leading to better team productivity and easier project management.

TYPES OF WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

DELIVERABLE-BASED WBS

A Deliverable-Based Work Breakdown Structure clearly demonstrates the

relationship between the project deliverables (i.e., products, services or results) and the
scope (i.e., work to be executed). Figure 1 is an example of deliverable-based work
breakdown structure for building a house.

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PHASED-BASE WBS

A Phase-Based WBS requires work associated with multiple elements be divided

into the work unique to each Level 1 element. In Phase-Based WBS (figure below), the
Level 1 has five Elements. Each of these Elements are typical phases of a project. The
Level 2 Elements are the unique deliverables in each phase. Regardless of the type of
WBS, the lower Level Elements are all deliverables. Notice that Elements in different
Legs have the same name. Shown in figure 2 is an example of phased-base WBS for
building a house.

CHARACTERISTICS OF WBS

The following are the characteristics of a work breakdown structure:

o Hierarchy: The WBS is hierarchical in nature. Each “child” level exists in a strict
hierarchical relationship with the parent level. The sum of all the child elements
should give you the parent element.
o 100% rule: Every level of decomposition must make up 100% of the parent level.
It should also have at least two child elements.
o Mutually exclusive: All elements at a particular level in a WBS must be mutually
exclusive. There must be no overlap in either their deliverables or their work. This
is meant to reduce miscommunication and duplicate work.
o Outcome-focused: The WBS must focus on the result of work, i.e. deliverables,
rather than the activities necessary to get there. Every element should be
described via nouns, not verbs. This is a big source of confusion for beginners to
WBS.

HOW TO MAKE A WBS

A good Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is created using an iterative process

by following these steps and meeting these guidelines:

1. Gather critical documents

o Gather critical project documents.

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o Identify content containing project deliverables, such as the Project

Charter, Scope Statement and Project Management Plan (PMP) subsidiary
plans.
2. Identify key team members
o Identify the appropriate project team members.
o Analyze the documents and identify the deliverables.

3. Define level 1 elements

o Define the Level 1 Elements. Level 1 Elements are summary deliverable
descriptions that must capture 100% of the project scope.
o Verify 100% of scope is captured. This requirement is commonly referred
to as the 100% Rule.
4. Decompose (breakdown) elements
o Begin the process of breaking the Level 1 deliverables into unique lower
Level deliverables. This “breaking down” technique is called
Decomposition.
o Continue breaking down the work until the work covered in each Element is
managed by a single individual or organization. Ensure that all Elements
are mutually exclusive.
o Ask the question, would any additional decomposition make the project
more manageable? If the answer is “no”, the WBS is done.
5. Create WBS dictionary
o Define the content of the WBS Dictionary. The WBS Dictionary is a
narrative description of the work covered in each Element in the WBS. The
lowest Level Elements in the WBS are called Work Packages.
o Create the WBS Dictionary descriptions at the Work Package Level with
detail enough to ensure that 100% of the project scope is covered. The
descriptions should include information such as, boundaries, milestones,
risks, owner, costs, etc.
6. Create Gantt chart schedule
o Decompose the Work Packages to activities as appropriate.
o Export or enter the Work Breakdown Structure into a Gantt chart for further
scheduling and project tracking.

BENEFITS OF A WBS

Creating a WBS is the first step in developing a comprehensive project schedule. It

can be of massive help in getting everyone to understand the project’s scope and
deliverables at different levels.
o Project schedule: The WBS is the foundation of the project schedule and budget.
Once you know all the deliverables required to complete the project, as well as
their hierarchical relationships, it will be much easier to assign resources and set
deadlines.
o Accountability: Since all elements in a WBS are mutually exclusive, it helps create
accountability. A team assigned to a single work package is wholly accountable
for its completion. This reduces overlaps in responsibility.

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o Commitment: The WBS gives teams a very high-level overview of their

responsibilities. Since each team is responsible for a specific component at a
time, it helps make them more committed to completing their assigned tasks.
o Reduces ambiguities: The process of developing the WBS involves the project
manager, project team, and all relevant stakeholders. This encourages dialog and
helps everyone involved flesh out their responsibilities. Thus, everyone has less
ambiguity and a better idea of what they're supposed to do.

Examples of WBS

Your work breakdown structure for each project can be different. You do not have to
follow only one way to make a good WBS.

As a project manager, you may have to experiment to see which work breakdown
structure works best for you and your team. The goal is to show the hierarchy and
expanse of your projects and make progress clear to everyone involved in the project —
whether they are a team member or an external stakeholder.

Here are some work breakdown structure examples. You can use any of these to outline
your WBS.

1. Work breakdown structure spreadsheet. You can structure your WBS efficiently in a
spreadsheet, noting the different phases, tasks, or deliverables in the columns and rows.
2. Work breakdown structure flowchart. You can structure your WBS in a diagrammatic
workflow. Most WBS examples and templates you may find are flowcharts.
3. Work breakdown structure list. You can structure your WBS as a simple list of tasks or
deliverables and subtasks. This is the most straightforward approach to make a WBS.
4. Work breakdown structure Gantt chart. You can structure your WBS as a Gantt chart
that represents both a spreadsheet and a timeline. With a Gantt chart structured WBS,
you can link task dependencies and show project milestones.

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Example of hierarchical relationships

Foundation development elements include lay-out topography, excavation and concrete pour

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Another example of a WBS is shown in figure below.

VI. Self-Evaluation Test:

In a long bond paper, prepare a typical work breakdown structure of a construction

project.

VII. Review of Concepts:

Work breakdown structure is a hierarchical tree structure that outlines your project
and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable portions. You can build a WBS
by creating folders and subfolders, and can even go further to divide individual
tasks into subtasks.

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 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. A WBS is the cornerstone
of effective project planning, execution, controlling, monitoring, and reporting. All
the work contained within the WBS is to be identified, estimated, scheduled, and
budgeted.

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