2.5. Task 2.5: Creating the Work Breakdown Structure

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is at the heart of the project. In fact, if you don't create one, the project will skip a beat or two or a hundred and could die a quick death.

The WBS provides the foundation so that the responsibility assignments for each deliverable can be established, estimated costs and budgets can be determined, and planning can be performed. The total project can be described as a summation of subdivided deliverables.

If done well, the WBS prevents omitted deliverables, gains commitment of project personnel, enables the development of a basic project plan, ensures the deliverable's visibility, and reduces risk

By definition, according to the PMBOK® Guide, 4th ed. p. 444, glossary, the WBS is a "deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create required deliverables. It organizes and defines the total scope of the project." The scope statement that is created with the project charter creates only a high-level picture of a project. The WBS adds details (tasks and activities) that comprise the overall project scope. In this task you will learn how to create a WBS.

2.5.1. Scenario

During the process of creating the project charter, you also determined the project scope statement—at least at a high level. Now you need to break it down into smaller, more-manageable chunks of work that will be performed by a live body or group. You have reviewed the scope statement and decided that these are the high-level elements of the project:

• Advertising

• Hiring and training

• Space planning

• Construction

• Furnishings

• Design of clothing

• Information technology

• Manufacturing of clothing

• Delivery and setup

You are ready to list the tasks in the project and have set up a team meeting with those you feel will participate in this effort with you and are ready to get started.

2.5.2. Scope of Task

2.5.2.1. Duration

This task may take hours or days, depending on the size and complexity of the task.

2.5.2.2. Setup

None.

2.5.2.3. Caveat

Be sure to include geographically dispersed team members.

2.5.3. Procedure

In this task you will create a partial WBS that involves four steps:

2.5.3.1. Details

Work that is not in the WBS is not part of the scope of the project! A WBS is not just an extensive list of work. It is a thorough categorization of project scope.

Some folks believe that the WBS is the project plan. Although it is at the heart of the project, it is part of the scope plan, a subsidiary of the master project management plan. The WBS is commonly used at the beginning of a project for further defining project scope, organizing schedules, and estimating costs. It is a living document throughout the project, and the project schedule can be used for reporting project costs, as well as managing risks.

On larger projects, the WBS may be used throughout the project to identify and track work packages, to organize data for earned value management (EVM) reporting, for tracking deliverables, and so on. We will discuss these items later.

The good news is that there are no formal rules on how to create a WBS. The key thing to remember is that the WBS must fully cover the scope of the project. Following the four steps helps ensure that all the scope and only the scope is successfully and completely decomposed in the work breakdown structure.

Before we move further, let's look at some important definitions.

2.5.3.1.1. PMBOK® Guide Glossary Definitions

WBS dictionary (p. 445)

"A document that describes each component in the work breakdown structure (WBS). For each WBS component, the WBS dictionary includes a brief definition of the scope or statement of work, defined deliverable(s), a list of associated activities, and a list of milestones. Other information may include responsible organization start and end dates, resources required, an estimate of cost, charge number, contract information, quality requirements, and technical references to facilitate performance of the work."

Work package (p. 445)

"A deliverable or project work component at the lowest level of each branch of the work breakdown structure."

Control account (p. 422)

"A management control point where scope, budget (resource plans), actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to earned value for performance measurement." We will discuss more about this in Phase 4.

Let's go through the steps we defined earlier.

2.5.3.1.2. Step 1: Create the List of Work

When you are meeting with your team for this work, describe the scope of work and what is to be delivered so the team won't get off track. Remember, we discussed that this is a horizontal project structure, so please, participate as a peer.

It will be helpful to start by using command verbs. Table 2.8 shows several useful command verbs. Then brainstorm the rest of the work to be done and compile the list of work. Decide whether adequate costs and durations can be developed at the level of detail you have identified.

Table 2.8. Command Verbs

Hands-on 2.5: Testing Your Knowledge of Creating a List of Work You have been charged with defining the tasks associated with furnishings as they relate to the Apples and Pears project. Decompose the higher element "Determine the furnishings required" (found in the high level WBS below) until you believe you have accomplished the deliverable "Furnishings identified." Obtain copy of space planning results. Determine the furnishings required. Order furnishings. Set up furnishings.

2.5.3.1.3. Step 2: Organize the Work

Now it's time to create logical groupings. You can do this by phase, by geography, by organization, by key work products, chronologically, or any other way that your team feels will accomplish this task.

Hands-on 2.6: Testing Your Knowledge of Organizing Tasks into Logical Groupings You have worked with your team on and have made a list of tasks associated with advertising, training of sales and marketing staff, and printing of brochures and manuals for the Apples and Pears project. Place the following tasks into four logical groupings: training of sales, training of marketing, preparation of advertising, and printing brochure and manual: Familiarize sales with the brochure and manual. Return sales to territories. Consolidate specific marketing training. Draft and approve the brochure. Design the layout of the brochure. Design the customer instruction manual. Select marketing personnel for training. Distribute advertising to the proper media. Prepare an article for a professional journal. Train marketing personnel. Send sales personnel to training. Proceed with familiarization course. Select sales personnel. Print brochures. Print customer instruction manuals. Return marketing to territories. Publish the article in the professional journal. Bring marketing personnel to the home office. Prepare Phase 1 of training. Prepare Phase 2 of training. Prepare regional advertising. Release and carry regional advertising. Consolidate advertising plans. Determine a general marketing approach. Approve regional advertising. Approve the customer instruction manual. Conduct Phase 1 training. Conduct Phase 2 training. Send manuals to the training center. What challenges would you have if you did not create a WBS?

2.5.3.1.4. Step 3: Review and Adjust the WBS with the Team

Because your team helped to create the WBS, you will want to review it and make adjustments as needed. This sort of team involvement cements the plan for your team members. Your review should include the following:

• Show the team what has been done so far.

• Go through the WBS and fix and/or confirm groupings.

• Adjust task and activity names, if necessary.

• Change wording, if necessary, to make it more clear but do not adjust intent.

Hands-on 2.7: Testing Your Knowledge of Reviewing and Adjusting a WBS You have worked with your team and created work lists, placed them into logical groupings, and decomposed the tasks and activities until a deliverable was produced. Review the following construction WBS and review and adjust groupings if necessary. Add tasks or activities if needed until you feel you can produce appropriate deliverables. Make sure command verbs are used. Work plans Submit plans Permits Stake the corners and offsets Establish a monument (set pin) for points of reference Dirt work Dig out foundation Sell or save the dirt Bring in utilities Inspect dirt work for grade to set pins Order materials per plan Foundation Forms Rebar Pour concrete Pour test cylinders Strip and clean forms Allow concrete to cure Analyze test cylinders Inspection Framing Rough in electrical and plumbing Set up material delivery in back of building Set up sidewalks, walkways, and blacktop Rafters Sheet the roof Create traces for wiring Electrical/plumbing to roof Put up roofing Pull wire Inspect wiring Insulation Sheetrock Install cabinets Tile and linoleum Finish carpentry Finish plumbing Finish electrical Finish heating Cleaning service Install carpeting

2.5.3.1.5. Step 4: Verify That WBS Is Correct and Complete

The best way to verify completeness and correctness is to ask the question at the lowest level, "Will these tasks fully complete the required deliverable?" If you have prefaced your tasks with command verbs, you should be able to associate a deliverable with the tasks.

2.5.3.1.6. Common Obstacles

Even though you are acting as a peer on this process, your facilitation skills will be needed if you encounter any of these obstacles:

• Discussing or adding new requirements

• Talking about the solution rather than the work

• Wanting to establish dependencies too early

• Wanting to assign resources too early

• Being overly detailed such that you spend more time creating the WBS than managing it

• Levels of a WBS:

  • Commonly a WBS has between five and seven levels.

  • It may take only three or four levels to create a budget-level deliverable.

  • If you have seven or more levels, typically this would then become a subproject or a program with multiple subprojects.

2.5.3.1.7. Levels of Detail in a Work Package

You know you have broken the scope of the project down far enough when you feel that the work package:

• Can be realistically and confidently estimated

• Cannot be logically subdivided further

• Can be completed quickly

• Has a meaningful conclusion and is deliverable

• Can be completed without interruption (without the need for more information)

• Will be outsourced or contracted out