A work breakdown structure wbs is a method well known in project management for getting a complex multistep project done. The wbs dictionary is produced in conjunction with the. The work breakdown structure wbs is the basis for any budget. Wbs schedule pro is windowsbased project management software that combines a work breakdown structure wbs chart, a network chart, a gantt chart, a task sheet plus. Work breakdown structure requirements gathering wbs. The wbs dictionary is produced in conjunction with the wbs to store relevant detailed information in support of the planning process. Another common source of confusion for beginners is the difference between the work breakdown structure, project schedule, and project plan. Fitch rates cpuks new class a5 notes bbbexp planar i1 wbs was performed in both anterior and posterior projections using dualhead gammacamera infinia hawkeye 4r, ge healthcare with. This presentation will examine a working model of a wbs dictionary. The wbs is a useful resource for project management and should be consulted for. Dec 22, 20 a work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical decomposition of a project into manageable chunks. Download mindview today and you can quickly create a wbs chart. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.
A wbs dictionary consists of a database sometimes an excel sheet containing more information about every element in the wbs. Creating and maintaining a wbs dictionary simplilearn. Wbs schedule pro is windowsbased project management software that combines a work breakdown structure wbs chart, a network chart, a gantt chart, a task sheet plus numerous additional features to produce a featurerich yet easytouse tool to plan and manage projects. We show what a work breakdown structure is and how it can help in the organization and execution of a project. We make it easy and offer a variety of views, including top down, leftright, mind map, timeline, and gantt chart. May 10, 2018 all pmp cost management formulas earned value management cpi, spi, cv, sv, eac, etc, tcpi, vac duration. If they are looking at the wbs, all the information that the wbs holds will be available to them in the wbs dictionary, right there, inside the same document. It is graphical and shows all the project parts in an organised chart. A work breakdown structure wbs represents this division of a project into constituent tasks. The work breakdown structure wbs is developed to establish a common understanding of project scope. A hierarchical structure by which project elements are broken down, or decomposed. The wbs dictionary describes each component of the wbs with milestones, deliverables, activities, scope, and sometimes dates, resources, costs, quality. Unlike a gantt chart, it does not show the tasks organised in sequence over time.
You can use the wbs as an indexing scheme connecting all. Work breakdown structure wbs different approaches for developing a wbs notations for work breakdown structures heuristics and examples starting with templates how to identify work what. The work breakdown structure wbs can be compared to a buildings foundation. Wbs is used at the start of a project to define the scope, estimate costs, allocate.
The work breakdown structure provides a common framework for the natural development of the overall planning and control of a contract and is the basis for dividing work into. Difference between work breakdown structure wbs and. With the help of the graphical nature of wbs, project managers can predict outcomes based on various. The scope statement is created out of the requirements. A wbs takes a similar approach but shows the work required to create the products. Work breakdown structure dictionary project management. The wbs determines the success or failure of a project. Oct 31, 2012 differences between the wbs and the activity list one of the topics that readers of my secrets to mastering the wbs in realworld projectssecond edition book pmi, 2010 and 20 enjoy is when i write about the four typical confusions that individuals have about the work breakdown structure wbs. Within this process, you first create a wbs dictionary i.
You wont find the problem if you cant isolate the defective part, and you cant fix the problem if the defective part is not separated. Relationship between wbs and gantt chart project smart. However, a spreadsheet style itemization of costs, or entry into a project management software product is equally valid. What is wbs in project management and how to create it. Building a wbs is not a oneshot task, but it is an interactive and iterative process. Work breakdown structures in large projects how detailed should a wbs be. The wbs dictionary defines, details, and clarifies the various elements of the wbs.
The wbs is just a decomposition of what you want to deliver. Since a work breakdown structure is displayed visually and contains summary information, it is easy to share across a team and with managers in an organization. The wbs dictionary, in addition to expanding on the simple one line description of the wbs elements, connects the wbs to the statement of work sow. Xmind also includes gantt capabilities so you can use that if youre so inclined. Its main principle is for decomposition, development, and evaluation of the wbs. The main application of the wbs dictionary is that it helps to create the product that will be obtained with the execution of the project work packages are the lowest level of the wbs. No, the wbs is not outdated, obsolete, deprecated, nor useless the wbs is just a decomposition of what you want to deliver building a wbs is not a oneshot task, but it is an interactive and iterative. Project management is like fixing a car you must break it down into parts.
It gives an overall picture of how a wbs is drawn and the need for well defined work packages. A document that provides detailed information about deliverables, activity and scheduling of each component in the work breakdown structure wbs. Oct 04, 2019 it is a good practice to include the wbs and the wbs dictionary in the same document. Wbs is a visual representation of the entire scope of the work to be done, broken down into smaller segments that each member of the project team is able to understand. Product versus work breakdown structure project manager. All the work contained within the wbs is to be identified, estimated, scheduled, and budgeted. A wbs is a logical decomposition breaking into smaller pieces and hierarchal representation of work needed to execute a project. Given the emphasis on a solid wbs it surprises me that its actually so hard to find a decent bit of software aligned with the need. As its the third level, each work package is depicted only as nouns or with a couple of words in the wbs. Without a good foundation, a building may collapse.
Through the wbs, the project manager is in a good position to categorize the work that the team needs to accomplish into small. Wbs schedule pro wbs version wbs chart pro software. One best practice in project management is to create a product oriented wbs, that you will use later to structure your planning. This information should not be considered complete, up to date. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus. Differences between the wbs and the activity list liliana. Wbs includes all internal, external and in terms in terms means works to be completed including the project management. You can use the wbs as an indexing scheme connecting all requirements, risks, anything, to components of the wbs, be it summary tasks, phases, work packages. They represent the list of tasks in order to produce the particular unit of work.
Differences between the wbs and the activity list one of the topics that readers of my secrets to mastering the wbs in realworld projectssecond edition book pmi, 2010 and 20 enjoy. Take note, however, that the example provided is only a wbs for phase 1 of a business development project and is not the entire representation of the project management tool. This is because, with each of the completion levels, there are definitions and details relevant to that phase. It also is the basis for establishing all stepstasks, effort, costs and. While these three things often describe the same thing what is to be achieved in the project they vary greatly in scope and details. No, the wbs is not outdated, obsolete, deprecated, nor useless. The wbs dictionary includes entries for each wbs component that briefly defines the scope or statement of the work, defines deliverables, contains a list. A work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical decomposition of a project into manageable chunks.
Applying work breakdown structure to project lifecycle pmi. Go to the wbs schedule pro page to see all of the great features of this new software including the new task sheet, free form text boxes, support for the notes field, importing and. Wbs software free download wbs top 4 download offers free software downloads for windows, mac, ios and android computers and mobile devices. Since a wbs dictionary accompanies a work breakdown structure, the latter is provided with an image which readers can reference as we proceed with the explanations. Rational unified process, rational software corporation 19872001.
Component or fullproject failures, when they do occur, can often be traced to a. Likewise, without a good wbs, project success may be negligible. Nov 28, 2018 the main application of the wbs dictionary is that it helps to create the product that will be obtained with the execution of the project work packages are the lowest level of the wbs. Sep 29, 2014 the wbs dictionary, in addition to expanding on the simple one line description of the wbs elements, connects the wbs to the statement of work sow. Likewise, without a good wbs, project success may be. The tool can be as detailed as the it project manager wants it to be to help manage the project. Software as a service saas wbs level 1 a wbs dictionary contains more detailed information about elements within a work breakdown structure wbs.
This is an example of a work breakdown structure wbs for a. If you are only concerned by the users of the wbs dictionary and are. What is wbs work breakdown structure in project management. All pmp cost management formulas earned value management cpi, spi, cv, sv, eac, etc, tcpi, vac duration. Work breakdown structure is an important deliverable for any project. A document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure.
It may look like a hierarchical tree chart that outlines a project and breaks it. After completion of the project, work breakdown structure acts as an asset to the organization. Work breakdown structure vs project schedule vs project plan. This article highlights the requirements gathering for a wbs. Element level wbs title description 1 6500m hov a4500 2 project management 3. The work breakdown structure dictionary is a useful resource for project management, and should be consulted for relevant information on each component of the work breakdown structure wbs. Wbs schedule pro overview wbs work breakdown structure. The wbs includes all the work necessary to create the product of the project. Mar 11, 2017 the work breakdown structure provides a common framework for the natural development of the overall planning and control of a contract and is the basis for dividing work into definable increments. If you only need to plan and manage your projects using wbs charts then this is a great low price alternative to the. If you are only concerned by the users of the wbs dictionary and are confident you have no risk of some misunderstanding from a project team member if you exclude wbs elements from the dictionary, then you can.
Jun 14, 2019 the wbs dictionary provides additional information which is not provided by the task name itself. The wbs dictionary is an important project management tool. A wbs dictionary is a document that provides a detailed information about each element in the wbs, including work packages and controls accounts. This web page explains how to create a work breakdown structure wbs using mindviews wbs software. In addition, the good dictionary will have a field. A workbreakdown structure wbs in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverableoriented breakdown of a project into smaller components. This is an example of a work breakdown structure wbs for. If your wbs dictionary is a deliverable that requires acceptance from the buyer, then you need to meet the requirements of that buyer. Plan outcomes, not actions edit if the work breakdown structure designer attempts to capture any actionoriented details in the wbs, the designer will likely include either too many actions or. A wbs dictionary is a supporting document to the work breakdown structure wbs. If you have already developed a detailed work breakdown structure, it might seem like a straightforward task to compile the information into a wbs dictionary. Work breakdown structure wbs different approaches for developing a wbs notations for work breakdown structures heuristics and examples starting with templates how to identify work what do we do with risky tasks.
The work breakdown structure wbs provides a hierarchical structure of project activity. It is a tabular or graphical representation of the tasks that make up the projects scope. The schedule and budget is then created and tracked by task. Ive been asked by clients in the past to develop a wbs, but i learned what they really wanted was a project schedule. This way, the project team, and stakeholders will not be compelled to search for any information. In the project scope management knowledge area, the scope baseline is said to be a combination of the project scope statement, the work breakdown structure wbs, and the work.
First and foremost, the wbs dictionary is the repository the information needed to estimate project cost, calculate the resource requirements, build an estimated schedule and define the project scope. Therefore, the more detailed the wbs, the more the total quantum of work will be decomposed into manageable proportions, resulting into more efficient work output and results. The wbs defines a projects work in terms of deliverables and the process phases appropriate to the organizationproject. For each wbs element, the wbs dictionary may include a brief definition of the scope or statement of work, defined deliverables, a list of. Wbs schedule pro wbs version is the same software as wbs schedule pro with the same overall features and the same user interface. The official project management body of knowledge pmbok definition of a wbs dictionary is. The lowest level of a wbs shows the activities that would be used to create a network diagram for time scheduling. It provides supporting data about project tasks in the wbs. First and foremost, the wbs dictionary is the repository the. The wbs dictionary is usually a spreadsheet that lists the wbs, the wbs element name, a description of the work in that element at a minimum. Wbs dictionary creation tips project management knowledge. It may look like a hierarchical tree chart that outlines a project and breaks it down into smaller and manageable parts.
A wbs is the cornerstone of effective project planning, execution, controlling, monitoring, and reporting. The only difference is that the network chart and gantt chart features have been disabled. One of the pillars of any project is the work breakdown structure wbs. The wbs dictionary contains the following information.
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