Work Breakdown Structure

Prof.G.Purandaran

Stages in a Project
Requirement Phase: Elicitation of requirement
specification from
customers,documentation,Technical Review.
Design Phase: Overall High Level Design, Detailed
design , Product interface detail.
Implementation/Fabrication Phase:
Validation Phase

Project Planning:
Breakdown Structuring
Construction project planning is a
method of determining :
What is going to be done, How things
are going to be done, (WBS)
Who will be doing activities and (OBS)
How much activities will cost.(CBS)
In this sense planning does not cover
scheduling, which addresses the When,
but once planning is complete scheduling
can be done

What, Who, How Much???

Simple and Complex Project

Work Breakdown Structure What
When projects are simple, consisting of few
defined activities, it might be possible
for a single person to grasp the total
construction effort with little difficulty.
Unfortunately, most projects for which formal
plans are prepared tend to be defined
with dozens or even hundreds or thousands of
activities: the larger the project, the
greater the number of activities and higher the
level of detail managers have to
handle.

New Stadium Construction

Standard WBS

Organizational Breakdown
Structure Who
The Organization Breakdown Structure
is a practical method to decompose the
pool of human resources needed to
execute all of the tasks into different
competence
areas and then into project roles,
independently of the number of
individuals that
will be assigned the specified role

Example of OBS Who?

WBS/OBS (What/Who
matrix)

Cost Breakdown Structure

How Much
Determining the cost is done through the Cost
Breakdown Structure (CBS). The
CBS is a system for dividing a project into hardware
elements and sub elements,
functions and sub functions and cost categories. It is a
hierarchical structure that
classifies resources into cost accounts, typically labor,
materials, and other direct
costs. In addition it represents the economic
breakdown of the project into budgets
per work package. This will allow the project manager
to track project progress and
expenditure according to planning breakdown of
activities and responsibilities.

CBS need not include

CBS does not have to include the
companys overhead
not associated with the project, such as
general office salaries, utilities,
insurance,
taxes, interest, and other expenses out of
the direct control of the project team, but
rather inherent with corporate top
managements action.

 In essence, the WBS divides and subdivides a

project into different components, whether by
area, phase, function, or other considerations.
The highest level in the WBS consists of a single
element, the project.
At the next level, there may be only a few
elements or items.
Naturally, the further one goes down within the
WBS, the greater the granularity of decomposition
and the amount of detail.
Regardless of the means used to define the
elements, individual tasks are to be defined for the
lowest level in the hierarchy or at the greatest
level of detail that is required to adequately
manage and control the construction process.

Project Management Processes

(Initiation)
Project Management Plan
Initiation

Scope
(definition)

Project Charter

WBS

e
Scop
t
c
e
j
Pro
ent
m
e
t
a
St

Cost
(estimates, )

Time
(activity diagrams, )

Human Resources
(RACI matrix, )

Also to consider: Quality, Risk,

Communication, Procurement,
Integration (PMBOK knowledge areas)

The Work Breakdown Structure in the

PMBOK

From the file

ITO2008.ppt

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

S
WB

18.03.16

Used as a basis for a number of processes in

particular to produce the subsidiary plans of the
Project Management Plan.
The WBS is a deliverable-oriented hierarchy of
decomposed project components that organises
and defines the total scope of the project. The
WBS is a representation of the detailed project
scope statement that specifies the work to be
accomplished by the project.
The elements comprising the WBS assist the
stakeholders in viewing the end product of the
project.
The work at the lowest-level WBS component is
estimated, scheduled, and tracked.
Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

23

The Dictionary of the WBS

S
WB

18.03.16

A WBS dictionary is a companion document to the

WBS that describes each WBS element. For each
WBS element, the WBS dictionary includes a
statement of work, a list of associated activities,
and a list of milestones.
Other information can include the responsible
organisation, start and end dates, resources
required, an estimate of cost, charge number,
contract information, quality requirements, and
technical references.
WBS elements should be cross-referenced as
appropriate.

Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

24

 Redecorate Room

Prepare materials

S
WB

Example
WBS

Buy
Buy
Buy
Buy

paint
a ladder
brushes/rollers
wallpaper remover

Prepare room

Remove old wallpaper

Remove detachable decorations
Cover floor with old newspapers
Cover electrical outlets/switches with
tape
Cover furniture with sheets

Paint the room

Clean up the room

18.03.16

Dispose or store left over paint

Clean brushes/rollers
Dispose of old newspapers
Remove covers

Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

25

Developing the WBS

S
WB

Divide the total work of the project into

major groups...
...then subdivide these groups into
tasks...
...then divide these tasks into sub-tasks
Subtasks should be small enough to
permit adequate control and visibility
But avoid excess bureaucracy!

18.03.16

Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

26

Product Breakdown Structure

Redecorated Room

S
PB

Focus on the product

to be delivered and
not on the work to do.
Underpins PRINCE2
product-based
approach.

18.03.16

Removed old wallpaper

Clean room
Cover for furniture
Cover for electrical
switches
Newspapers to cover
floor.
Paint
Paint on wall
Leftover paint
Management products
Ladder
Brushes and rollers

Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

27

Scope Breakdown Structure

(Max Widemans approach)

S
SB

Geographically discrete components

Time based phases and stages
Intermediate or final major deliverables
Discrete structural, process, system or
device components
Deliverable elements that can be associated
with distinctive types of people-skills or
resources
After that, break down the work as in the
WBS

Recommended
Reading!
18.03.16

http://www.maxwideman.com/musings/wbswar.htm
Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

28

Scope Breakdown Structure

(Max Wideman redecorates a room)

Redecorated Room
Painted wall

S
SB

Note the noun

phrases on the
top levels (scope
breakdown) and
the activities on
the lower levels!

Buy paint
Buy ladder
Buy brushes or rollers
Paint room

New curtains

Content Family
A clean room

Cover floor with old newspapers

Cover electrical outlets/switches with tape

Cover furniture with sheets

Dinner in a restaurant

Decision on colours
18.03.16

Marc Conrad

Bedfordshire
University
of

29

Summary

ary
mm
Su

The WBS is used to define the

activities that are then further
managed.
Consider alternatives:
Work Breakdown Structure
Product Breakdown Structure
Scope Breakdown Structure

Use Common Sense in Breakdown

the Project.
18.03.16

Marc Conrad
University of Bedfordshire

30