In this movie, author richard harrington walks you through how to create a work breakdown structure. Work breakdown structure templates editable online or. The highlevel elements in the wbs should match, wordforword, the nouns used to describe the outcomes of the project in the scope statement. It looks like the organisational structure of a company or a family tree. Wbs is a hierarchical model of all the work required to produce the projects outputs. Whether you prefer big chunks or minute details, youll benefit from creating a wbs with the help of our killer guide and free work breakdown structure template. Applying the work breakdown structure to the project. The work breakdown structure wbs provides a view of your project based on activities. The work breakdown structure visually defines the scope into manageable. Develop work breakdown structure introduction the table below provides several templates you can use to help develop a work breakdown structure. Department of defense dod systems from the late 1950s and early 1960s organizations like nasa and the u. The work breakdown structure is a deliverableoriented, hierarchical decomposition of the work to be completed by the project team. The wbs dictionary is a key project definition tool that defines indepth the scope for each work element. How to improve productivity with a work breakdown structure.
Work breakdown structure rev e, june 2003 work breakdown structure a project work breakdown structure wbs is a deliverable or product oriented grouping of project work elements shown in graph ical display to organize and subdivide the total work scope of a project. Download work breakdown structure template for free formtemplate offers you hundreds of resume templates that you can choose the one that suits your work experience and sense of design. Defining the process known as a work breakdown structure the key is applying installations to job specific construction models. Concept development wbs work breakdown structure dictionary. The pd is to structure the project work into wbs elements work packages. How to create a work breakdown structure wbs pm documents. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance on the practice of developing a work breakdown structure and to describe the practice overview, requirements, best practices, activities, and key terms related to this requirement. Pdf work breakdown structure pdf work breakdown structure download. Task identification and work breakdown structure san jose state. The first approach structures the wbs primarily from a deliverables perspective, in that the highest level level 1 entries represent the major deliverables that the project is committed to create. For example, the wbs utilizes the project charter as its starting point. A work breakdown structure or wbs is a common term in project management. The work breakdown structure provides a common framework for the natural development of the overall planning and control of a contract and is the basis for dividing work into definable increments from which the statement of work can be developed and technical, schedule, cost, and labor hour reporting can be established a work breakdown structure permits summing of. Specifically on large projects, it is practically impossible for one person to consider all the work necessary to complete the project.
Free work breakdown structure templates project management docs. Work breakdown structure relativistic heavy ion collider. A work breakdown structure or wbs for short is a chart or document used to organize project work into a list of focus areas so that all work stays on track to meet project goals. The lowest level describes a package of work that can be. Figure 1 wbs construction example the above wbs is from pmis practice standard for work breakdown structures. Approaches to develop work breakdown structures resultoriented approach structure the work based on the work products activityoriented approach structure the work based on development activities and project functions geographical area approach structure the work based on geographical location organizational approach. The work breakdown structure wbs has long served as a valuable tool in helping project managers plan deliverables and detail project scope. Festival editable work breakdown structure template on. It guarantees that the group comprehends what work must be finished in a proper format. Project work breakdown structure wbs september 28, 2012. Creating the work breakdown structure the wbs can be structured in either of two ways.
Todays work breakdown systems can be traced back to u. Every work breakdown structure example will help managers understand how the structure works and why its useful. Breaking down the work is the first stage of project planning and essential for managing project scope. The project management body of knowledge defines the work breakdown structure as a deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team. A work breakdown structure, commonly abbreviated wbs, is a key project deliverable that is utilized to organize a project teams work and responsibilities into compact sections that are more manageable. Therefore, one should take creating wbs as a critical step in the process of project management. A work breakdown structure creates an efficient work flow from preconstruction through the. They can be used to break down data, services or a product or a combination of these three. It is a product oriented structure, not an organizational structure. Example of work breakdown structure applied in a nasa reporting structure.
One of the project managers most important tools the work breakdown structure is one of the most important project management tools you have as a project manager. Risk management plan template 9 download free documents in pdf risk. Work breakdown structures objectoriented software engineering. Better allocation when there is a clear plan of action, allocating time and resources becomes much less complicated. Its the foundation for estimating, budgeting, sequencing and scheduling of activities, reporting, and controlling a project. The work breakdown structure is the tool used to divide the project work content among individ uals and organizations so that ef ciency and effectiveness will be achieved while ensuring the inte gration of work efforts to produce the projectrequired deliverables. Project scope statement was created together with wbs and wbs dictionary in one application. An online project management tool based on the open source software redmine is available from the universitys it service centre. The main project tasks have been subdivided separating the new work from the existing installation that needs to be reworked. The wbs provides the foundation for all project management work, including, planning, cost and effort estimation, resource allocation, and scheduling. View work breakdown structure research papers on academia. As the discipline has matured, project professionals have expanded and matured the wbs concept. The work breakdown structure wbs is a view into the project which shows what work the project encompasses. The work breakdown structure in software project management.
Applying work breakdown structure to project lifecycle. Also, please note that you dont have to put everything a textbook prescribes. Tausworthe jet propllsiotl lrrhoultop the work breakdown structure wbs is a vehicle for breaking an engineering project down into subproject, tasks, subtasks, work packages, and so on. Each level of the wbs represents an increasingly detailed description of the project work by activity.
Work breakdown structure template systemation blog. Youll sharpen your knowledge by answering questions about what work breakdown structure is, as well as its components, advantages, and risks. Preliminary engineering wbs work breakdown structure. A wbs is one of the most critical components of a successful project because it forces the project team to carefully consider all the pieces of a project.
It defines and structures the total scope of the project because it starts from the deliverables as stated and then decomposes the work and the smaller sections. Create a work breakdown structure outline, diagram, or dictionary template. The project manager and project team use the wbs to develop the project schedule, resource requirements and costs. Design documents, manuals, the delivered system, functional approach structure the work based on development activities and project functions examples. Simply click to open the template, and then customize the information, layout, and design. Developing and elaborating effective work breakdown structures. The work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical decomposition of the work to be completed in order to achieve the project deliverables.
The wbs and wbs dictionary should not be static documents. Editable work breakdown structure template to plan your work. A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the teams work into manageable sections. If the project can be estimated or designed based on these models then the information is better communicated.
Work breakdown structure a work breakdown structure wbs is a decomposition of all the work necessary to complete a project. Even subprojects can be broken down into smaller bits. A wbs is arranged in a hierarchy and constructed to allow for clear and logical groupings, either by activities or deliverables. To get you started, here are a number of work breakdown structure templates you can use. Project managers have long relied on work breakdown structures wbs to help them effectively and efficiently plan and implement projects. In the tree structure of a wbs, project deliverables and activities are broken down into manageable parts. Once the dod saw how well these work breakdown systems functioned, they applied them across the. Steps to create a wbs identify the major deliverables. It is a tool which helps to easily communicate the work and processes involved to execute the project. For example, if youre creating a work breakdown structure for manufacturing a car, youll include items such as car body a deliverable, not welding steel an activity. The work breakdown structure wbs is a tool that defines a project and groups the projects. In so doing, you gain clarity into the details needed to accomplish every aspect of your project. What is wbs work breakdown structure in project management.
It is created on the basis of the work breakdown structure. Work breakdown structure dictionary was controlled and tracked. Breakdown structures wbs as they begin the process of. The efficiency of a work breakdown structure can determine the success of a project. But to confront the challenges of working in todays volatile economic environment, project managers are increasingly using. The timeline specifies the order in which packages of project tasks are to be completed. The work breakdown structure in software project management robert c. Project planning event and conference management event. These components are further decomposed until a required person from the team can be assigned.
Unfortunately, the business pressures driving projects have often prevented project managers from developing a comprehensive wbs. Managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components. A work breakdown structure is usually used in companies or start ups that would like to handle their projects more efficiently. As you can see from this work breakdown structure example, it required not that much of an effort.
Free work breakdown structure templates project management. A gantt chart uses horizontal bars in a lineartype calendar. It is a tree diagram in which the project is broken down into deliverables and subdeliverables needed to accomplish the project objectives. Though it sounds so simple, a wbs has enormous strength and influence to convert complex requirementsscope into small.
Cdc unified process practices guide work breakdown structure up version. They are usually in the form of a flow chart where the orientation of a product or a service is done by the use of boxes and. Whether you are new to project management and working on your pmp. According to the project management body of knowledge pmbok, a work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. A wbs is arranged in a hierarchy and constructed to allow for clear and logical. Dividing tasks in their distinguishing components makes it easy to perform them in an organized.
Edit this wbs template online using our tool and easily visualize your project work. One work breakdown structure example that will make it clear. In addition, templates relevant to this practice are provided at the end of this guide. Download work breakdown structure template for free. Pdf work breakdown structure major revisions to a wbs require both substantial effort and resources, due to pdf reader aloud its. One project may include several phases, or also smaller subprojects.
For example, a repetitive deliverable that is identified by number can be easily resourced, costed or scheduled programmatically from. The work breakdown structure is a document that is important to project management its a simple hierarchy document like a tree that shows you all of the major elements of a project that need to be planned for. Number work breakdown structure element description environmental screening report cd 2. Work breakdown structures a work breakdown structure is a deliverableoriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. The concept is used each time a new project is designed and is created before entering any data into a microsoft project file. In addition, the resource breakdown structure rbs describes the projects. Work breakdown structure template click on image to modify online. The work breakdown structure wbs step helps accomplish the following key objectives. To develop and maintain a wbs, you must have a clear understanding of the projects.
A work breakdown structure is your map through more complicated projects. Structure the work based on geographical location organizational approach. Before we dive further into the benefits and impact of a wbs, there are a few additional definitions you should know. It defines and structures the total scope of the project because it starts from the deliverables as stated and. Another example of a project wbs using the 100% method is shown below. A work breakdown structure template is a document that arranges a work project into its relevant portion. Creately diagrams can be exported and added to word, ppt powerpoint, excel, visio or any other document. Applying a work breakdown structure figure 1 shows an example of a wbs that lays out a plan for a generator installation to an existing distribution system. Blank risk management plan templatejpg risk management plan template 9 download free documents in pdf risk management plan template.
Work breakdown structure element dictionary concept development procedures are subject to change without notice. The contents of the template are shown below and hints and tips are includes in the template. The procedure of work breakdown is the key for estimation. This paper examines the dimensions that are involved in developing a wbs that can help project teams successfully realize their project goals. Check the capital project delivery website to ensure this is the current version. Jun 17, 2014 this article describes one of the most important tools the wbs work breakdown structure for understanding and decomposing project scope and also the various advantagessuccesses that a project team could derive if a wbs is wellprepared and used through the duration of the project. Analysis, design, implementation, integration, geographical area approach structure the work based on geographical location.
This document makes it easy for employees to perform their duties and it puts the tasks in an order. A work breakdown structure wbs identifies tasks and deliverables associated with a project. You can edit this template and create your own diagram. Breakdown structure wbs and other supporting documents. Drafts are created during the project definition phase of the project then details are flushed out during. Work breakdown structure element dictionary preliminary engineering procedures are subject to change without notice. Oct 27, 2016 managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components. Festival editable work breakdown structure template on creately. During the process of developing a visual work breakdown structure, youll identify and fill in your project planning blind spots. A work breakdown structure wbs is a decomposition of all the work necessary to complete a project.
Collaboration features to do the breakdown as a team. This work breakdown structure template provides a good set of wbs examples. Simply put, a work breakdown structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the scopework that needs to be estimated and executed during the course of the project in order to accomplish the project objectives and deliverables. Use the table below to provide the version number, the author implementing the version, the date of the version, the name of the person approving the version, the date that particular version was approved, and a brief description of the reason for creating the revised version. A work breakdown structure wbs is a fundamental project management technique for. This is a free work breakdown structure wbs template in excel and pdf. Figure 1 at the construction stage, a wbs helps manage. The template is fully editable with excel and can be converted or changed to suit specific project requirements. Project management using work breakdown structure wbs. A wbs dictionary is generally presented in a table or spreadsheet format and. Free work breakdown structure templates smartsheet.