Work break down structure :

The work break down structure as its name suggests, represents a

systematic and logical breakdown of the project into its components
parts.

It is constructed by dividing the project into its major parts with each of
these being further divided into sub parts this is continues till a break
down is done in terms of manageable units of work for which
responsibility can be defined thus the work break down structure helps
in.

 Effective planning by dividing the work into manageable elements

which can be planned budgeted and controlled
 Assignment of responsibility for work elements to project personnel
and outside agencies
 Development of control and information system

WHAT ARE THE USES AND PURPOSES OF WORK BREAKDOWN

STRUCTURES?

Although often skipped in the planning process, a work breakdown

structure or dictionary is a powerful tool for finishing projects
efficiently and on time. Here are some of the advantages and
benefits of creating a WBS:
 Provides a visual representation of all parts of a project
 Offers an ongoing view for management and team members into how
the entire project is progressing
 Defines specific and measurable outcomes
  Breaks the work into manageable chunks
 Provides a way to make successful experiences repeatable
 Sets a foundation for estimating costs and allocating human and other
resources
 Ensures no overlap and no gaps in responsibility or resources
 Minimizes the chance of adding items outside the scope of work or
forgetting a critical deliverable

In addition, organizations have found other benefits in using work

breakdown structures. These benefits can be realized through a
specific project, but may also help improve the processes and
culture of your whole organization. They include:

 By taking into account each project’s WBS, the organization can

quickly calculate the budget for whole departments.
 Teams can determine project schedule and budget quickly.
 As the project progresses, teams can track specific sections of the work
breakdown structure to determine project cost performance and flag
issues and problem areas in the organization.

A well-crafted work breakdown structure can keep your team

humming along like a well-oiled machine with these benefits:

 Improves productivity
 Helps project managers predict results based on various scenarios
 Helps with project organization
 Assists in describing the project scope to stakeholders
 Helps to distribute responsibilities
 Allows correct estimation of costs, risks, and time
 Increases communication
 Enables more creativity and brainstorming
 Focuses on end goals
 Organizes details
 Potentially prevents problems
 Addresses scheduling issues
 Helps manage risks
 Allocates tasks
 Gives teams flexibility
 Eliminates confusion
 Gives every team member clear task descriptions
 Helps write and support the statement of work
 Provides foundation for clear status report on project, since each work
package is a measurable unit

WHAT ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS OF A WORK

BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
A reliable, useful work breakdown structure or dictionary should
gather the critical elements of a project, along with its timeline, cost,
and resources. The most helpful WBS plans contain these
components:
 Identification of which organization, department, or individual is
responsible for each specific work piece
 The scheduled start and end dates
 Required resources
 Estimated cost of the project
 Charge numbers
 Contract details, requirements, and milestones
 Protocol for quality control, requirements, and standards
 Technical information and resources needed to achieve desired results
At a higher level, the WBS can also serve directional and
organizational roles. A thorough WBS plan can act to:
 Help human resources manage team assignments
 Manage the schedule and determine the project timeline
 Manage and measure the quality
 Anticipate enterprise environmental factors
 Identify organizational process assets
 Track version history
 Establish dependencies
 Track the overall progress of a project