Understanding Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Uploaded by
ScribdTranslationsUnderstanding Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Uploaded by
ScribdTranslationsWORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS)
According to the PMBOK Guide, "the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a decomposition
hierarchical, oriented towards the deliverable product of the work that will be executed by the team
project, to achieve the objectives of the project and create the required deliverables.
The achievement of the project's objectives requires a WBS that defines all the
required efforts, the assignment of responsibilities to a defined element of the
organization and that a schedule and budget be established based on the WBS for
the execution of the work.
The WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project and represents the specified work in the
project scope statement approved and in effect. The planned work is contained
at the lowest level of the WBS components, called work packages.
A work package can be scheduled, monitored, controlled, and its cost can be
Dear. In the context of the WBS, work refers to the products or deliverables of the project,
they are the result of the effort made, and not the effort itself.
1. Concept of the WBS
According to the publication Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, published by PMI, the
the concept of the WBS is used in project management to:
. Define the scope of the project in terms of deliverables and the breakdown of such.
deliverables in work packages.
. Depending on the decomposition method of the work used the EDT
You can also define the process cycle and the deliverables of each phase.
This scope breakdown of the project allows balancing the need for
the project management of controlling the project with an adequate level of detail.
. Provide the project management team with an appropriate framework for the
decision-making regarding the progress of the project.
. Facilitate communication between the project manager and stakeholders throughout the project's life.
of the project. The WBS allows for communication of the project scope, the relationships of
dependencies between the different phases and tasks and the level of risks, while facilitating
the budget control and the progress of the schedule.
. The WBS is a key element in the other project processes.
2. Characteristics of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
. The WBS defines and organizes the total work structure of the project.
. Each activity of the WBS has a tangible deliverable
. The WBS divides the project work into smaller and more manageable portions.
. Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the work of
project, such lower-level components are called work packages.
. The planned work included in the work packages can be scheduled,
supervised, controlled and their estimated costs.
. The WBS is the representation of a hierarchical structure.
The WBS is a representation of the project, in a descriptive graphic form, that subdivides the
activities at various levels reaching the necessary degree of detail for planning and
appropriate control.
The WBS can be structured in several ways. The most common are:
. Focused on deliverable products: Products, Physical area
. Programming-oriented: Sequential task or activity (Phases)
. Resource-oriented: Disciplines, Administrative units.
3. Guidelines for developing a WBS:
Step 1: Identify the final product(s) of the project that must be delivered to achieve success.
of the project. A comprehensive review of the project scope is recommended to ensure the
consistency between the WBS and the project requirements.
Step 2: Define the main product deliverables; the predecessor deliverables.
necessary for the project but do not, by themselves, meet a commercial need (for
example, a design specification.
Step 3: Break down the main deliverables to an appropriate level of detail that allows
manage effectively and efficiently.
Step 4: Review and refine the WBS until the project stakeholders agree that
the planned project can be successfully completed and that the execution and control
they will produce the desired results.