Work breakdown structures wbs is a term that is used in project management. A fixture in classic project management methodology and systems engineering, the work breakdown structure wbs is a method that breaks a project down into a hierarchy of deliverables, tasks, and subtasks. Oct 27, 2016 managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components. As an example, the wbs of a waterfall construction project will be very different from a project that uses a designbuild methodology. How many pms produce wbs in a formal or consistent manner for each project. Pdf the work breakdown structure in software project management. You can edit this work breakdown structure using creately diagramming tool and include in your reportpresentationwebsite.
Free work breakdown structure template to download. 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. Yes, weve included a work breakdown structure template for you. A coding scheme also helps wbs elements to be recognized in any written context. Sep 25, 2017 a work breakdown structure or wbs is a common term in project management. Other definitions of wbs government documents can be. Once the dod saw how well these work breakdown systems functioned, they applied them across the entire u. In addition, the resource breakdown structure rbs describes the projects. Department of defense dod systems from the late 1950s and early 1960s organizations like nasa and the u.
Work breakdown structure template mindview has work breakdown structure templates included. These components are further decomposed until a required person from the team can be assigned. Managers use wbs to break down their projects into easily manageable components. It is a product oriented structure, not an organizational structure.
The work breakdown structure wbs is a vehicle for breaking an engineering project down into subproject, tasks, subtasks, work packages, and so on. 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. View work breakdown structure research papers on academia. It is not a breakdown of the how or when, but rather a break down of what. After reading it, you will understand the basics of this powerful project management tool.
This article also contains a downloadable and editable work breakdown structure template. Work breakdown structure wbs in project management. 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 tree structure view is the most popular format for the wbs. To develop and maintain a wbs, you must have a clear understanding of the projects. A gantt chart uses horizontal bars in a lineartype calendar. 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.
A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the teams work into manageable sections. Edit this wbs template online using our tool and easily visualize your project work. Figure 1 at the construction stage, a wbs helps manage. Every work breakdown structure example will help managers understand how the structure works and why its useful. In our company, the work breakdown structure wbs element is equivalent to the phase of a project. It breaksdown the project into lowlevel subtask units of work that will be scheduled, executed and controlled.
Create a work breakdown structure outline, diagram, or dictionary template, or choose a customizable. Most project professionals recognise the importance and benefits of a wbs in outperforming projects without one. If the project can be estimated or designed based on these models then the information is better communicated. Download work breakdown structure template for free. 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. 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.
A workbreakdown structure wbs in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverableoriented breakdown of a project into smaller components. Work breakdown structure a work breakdown structure wbs is a decomposition of all the work necessary to complete a project. Example of work breakdown structure applied in a nasa reporting structure. The pm wbs template for infrastructure projects types 1, 2 and 3 has already been finalised, handed over to the business owners for.
In short a work breakdown system provides a mirror for determining and examining all aspects of a project before digging in and finding your blind spots as you stumble into them. Figure 1 wbs construction example the above wbs is from pmis practice standard for work breakdown structures. The work breakdown structure wbs provides the foundation for defining work as it relates to project objectives. It is the start of the planning process and is often called the foundation of project planning. Breaking down the work is the first stage of project planning and essential for managing project scope. Blank risk management plan templatejpg risk management plan template 9 download free documents in pdf risk management plan template. Cdc unified process practices guide work breakdown structure up version. 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. This work breakdown structure template provides both outline and tree structure views in a spreadsheet format. Chapter 1 introduction to the work breakdown structure 1.
Presenters christopher bucksa, senior project manager, university services pmo. Work breakdown structure wbs in project management teamgantt. Work breakdown structure imagine that you are in charge of a. Ebook workflow editable work breakdown structure template. Applying the work breakdown structure to the project. Wbs mindview simple wbs software work breakdown structure software. Wbs construction projects project management tools. The work breakdown structure visually defines the scope into manageable chunks that a project team can. The project management body of knowledge pmbok 5 defines the workbreakdown structure a hierarchical decomposition of the.
So under one project such as building a new facility, the new facility would be the project definition and under that project each phase of the project is a wbs element. The work breakdown structure presented here represents all the work required to complete this project. The scope of work in each work package should be defined to avoid overlaps and omissions between work packages. Nabil dmaidi the smallest unit of the wbs is the work. Work package a deliverable or project work component at the lowest level of each branch of the work breakdown structure. Work breakdown structure wbs a hierarchical system which subdivides larger elements of the project into smaller elements.
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. Work breakdown structure templates editable online or. It presents an easy to understand view into the wbs. A work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical outline of the tasks needed to deliver the projects product or service. The user can just add the data related to the project activities, tools which are used. Figure 24 reflects an illustration of just one example of a wbs code request template that may be used by programproject teams or nasa institutional. Free work breakdown structure templates smartsheet. For example, the wbs utilizes the project charter as its starting point. In addition, templates relevant to this practice are provided at the end of this guide.
After you have broken your product down to the size that to which you think you can manage, the leaf level serves as your work package, under which actions are identified and then scheduled. Often, it is expressed in a graphical representation, like a hierarchical chart similar to the format you see in an organizational chart most of us. Collaboration features to do the breakdown as a team. This work template tells us about how the total work can be distributed amongst the members in a. How to create a work breakdown structure lucidchart blog. The highlevel elements in the wbs should match, wordforword, the nouns used to describe the outcomes of the project in the scope statement. Creating the work breakdown structure the wbs can be structured in either of two ways. Using work breakdown structure wbs for effective project estimation written by ambadapudi sridhara murthy thinking about projects and project execution, the competition in this world has become so huge and intense that organizations hardly want to take any risks that might place their projects within the zone of penalty and negative. A work breakdown structure wbs describes and orders the tasks or activities for a process or project plan.
Pdf integrating process and work breakdown structure with. Better allocation when there is a clear plan of action, allocating time and resources becomes much less complicated. Work breakdown structure template wbs mindview software. The main project tasks have been subdivided separating the new work from the existing installation that needs to be reworked. Work breakdown structure example template is a simple descriptive template. This article explains the wbs or work breakdown structure in a practical way. Develop work breakdown structure introduction the table below provides several templates you can use to help develop a work breakdown structure. Pdf in software development, project plans document scope, cost, effort, and schedule. Pdf the work breakdown structure in software project. It structures the wbs like an org chart and shows the hierarchy of tasks in addition to providing space for additional information about each work package. How to improve productivity with a work breakdown structure. 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, usually shortened to wbs, is a tool project managers use to break projects down into manageable pieces. You can choose from several different format options when creating a work breakdown structure. Project management using work breakdown structure wbs. The work breakdown structure is a decomposition of the work you see needing to be accomplished in order to deliver what it is you have shared and defined in your pos statement, project charter. The work breakdown structure is the idea of taking a project and breaking it down to manageable portions and pieces for completion. They can be used to break down data, services or a product or a combination of these three. Steps to create a wbs identify the major deliverables. Wbs component an entry in the work breakdown structure that can be at any level. Todays work breakdown systems can be traced back to u. Defining the process known as a work breakdown structure the key is applying installations to job specific construction models. Mindview has work breakdown structure templates included. A work breakdown structure is usually used in companies or start ups that would like to handle their projects more efficiently.
Smart leaders understand the underlying wisdom of the wbs work breakdown structuresystem. The example above uses a tree format, which is the most visual option. Download mindview today and you can open any of the templates available. The concept is used each time a new project is designed and is created before entering any data into a microsoft project file. Nabil dmaidi work packages should be defined in terms of design, construction methods, and completion requirements, with associated performance dates. The most common method for defining a wbs is the outlining method in which tasks are defined using a hierarchical structure and numbered using common outlining such as 1, 1. Task a term for work whose meaning and placement within a structured plan for project work varies by the application area, industry, and brand of project management software. Chapter 1 introduction to the work breakdown structure. Blank work breakdown structure template work breakdown structure. You can add as many levels as needed to cover the breakdown of your project. Its a helpful tool that defines a detailed cost or time estimate and provides guidance for schedule development and control. 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.
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. Pdf impact of various workbreakdown structures on project. Editable work breakdown structure template to plan your work. A work breakdown structure creates an efficient work flow from preconstruction through the. Second, the work breakdown structure is also based on the construction methodology that will be used on the project. A work breakdown structure or wbs is a common term in project management. The wbs dictionary is a key project definition tool that defines indepth the scope for each work element. A wbs is arranged in a hierarchy and constructed to allow for clear and logical groupings, either by activities or deliverables. You can also make a new resume with our online resume builder which is free and easy to use. The outline view offers simplicity and quick organization, while the diagram view provides a visual representation of how each project level relates to the next. Project work breakdown structure wbs september 28, 2012.