Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D. Lee Baliton

Work Breakdown Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)Structure (WBS)

Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.

Lee BalitonLee Baliton

Course on Project Management

Why break up?Why break up?

Improve work managementImprove work management Understand resource and time Understand resource and time

constraintsconstraints Set milestones for progressSet milestones for progress

See alternative sequencing of See alternative sequencing of components of workcomponents of work

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related Inter-related Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related taskInter-related task Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Clear starts and ends

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related Inter-related Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Four possible

relationships

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related Inter-related Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Four possible

relationships

1. Finish to Start: Start second task after first one is finished

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related Inter-related Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Four possible

relationships

1. Finish to Start2. Start to Start: Start second task same time as

first one

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related Inter-related Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Four possible

relationships

1. Finish to Start2. Start to Start3. Finish to Finish: Start second task so both

finish at same time

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related Inter-related Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Four possible

relationships

1. Finish to Start2. Start to Start3. Finish to Finish4. Start to Finish: Second task cannot finish

before first one starts

Course on Project Management

Definition of WBSDefinition of WBS

Breaks the project scope Breaks the project scope Inter-related taskInter-related task Discrete tasks Discrete tasks

Hierarchical tree structure Hierarchical tree structure

Lower level tasks inherit the

relationships among higher

level tasks

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

Level 1: The root of the tree is the

project name

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

EHR implementation

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

Level 2: Components of the

entire projectB C D

EHR implementation

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

B C D

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

Train users

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

B C D

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

Train users

E F

Level 3: Each level 2 tasks is broken into its

subcomponents

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

B C D

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

Train users

E F

Purchase training material

Detailemployees

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

B C D

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

Train users

F

E

Purchase training material

Detailemployees

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

A

B C D

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

Train users

F

E

Purchase training material

Detailemployees

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain users

F

EPurchase training material

Detailemployees

Course on Project Management

Approaches to Developing Approaches to Developing Work BreakdownWork Breakdown

GuidelinesGuidelines AnalogyAnalogy Bottom upBottom up Mind mappingMind mapping

Course on Project Management

Approaches to Developing Approaches to Developing Work BreakdownWork Breakdown

GuidelinesGuidelines AnalogyAnalogy Bottom upBottom up Mind mappingMind mapping

Course on Project Management

Approaches to Developing Approaches to Developing Work BreakdownWork Breakdown

GuidelinesGuidelines AnalogyAnalogy Bottom upBottom up Mind mappingMind mapping

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain users

F

EPurchase training material

Detailemployees

Course on Project Management

Hierarchy of ActivitiesHierarchy of Activities

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain users F

EPurchase training material

Detailemployees

Course on Project Management

Approaches to Developing Approaches to Developing Work BreakdownWork Breakdown

GuidelinesGuidelines AnalogyAnalogy Bottom upBottom up Mind mappingMind mapping

Course on Project Management

TaskTask

Mutually exclusiveMutually exclusive ExhaustiveExhaustive

Course on Project Management

TaskTask

Mutually exclusiveMutually exclusive ExhaustiveExhaustive

Purchase of systems and organizing

training may not be mutually exclusive if

the purchase includes training

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

D Train users

Course on Project Management

TaskTask

Mutually exclusiveMutually exclusive ExhaustiveExhaustive

Course on Project Management

Breadth .vs. DepthBreadth .vs. Depth

Focus on breadthFocus on breadth Let details emergeLet details emerge

Progressive elaborationProgressive elaboration CreativityCreativity

Course on Project Management

Breadth .vs. DepthBreadth .vs. Depth

Focus on breadthFocus on breadth Let details emergeLet details emerge

Progressive elaborationProgressive elaboration CreativityCreativity

Course on Project Management

Numbering ConventionNumbering Convention

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain (detail)

users

E

1.1.2 Purchase training material

Course on Project Management

Numbering ConventionNumbering Convention

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain (detail)

users

E

1.1.2 Purchase training material

Course on Project Management

Numbering ConventionNumbering Convention

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain (detail)

users

E

1.1.2 Purchase training material

Course on Project Management

Numbering ConventionNumbering Convention

EHR implementation

Purchasesystem

Configure system

A

B

C

DTrain (detail)

users

E

1.1.2 Purchase training material

Course on Project Management

Work Breakdown Is Not …Work Breakdown Is Not …

We need to clarify some We need to clarify some common mistakes …common mistakes …

Course on Project Management

A Task Is …A Task Is …

Not a goalNot a goal

Course on Project Management

A Task Is …A Task Is …

Not a goalNot a goal Not a processNot a process

Course on Project Management

Work Breakdown Is …Work Breakdown Is …

Not an exhaustive list of workNot an exhaustive list of work

Course on Project Management

Work Breakdown Is …Work Breakdown Is …

Not an exhaustive list of workNot an exhaustive list of work Not a chronologyNot a chronology

Course on Project Management

Work Breakdown Is …Work Breakdown Is …

Not an exhaustive list of workNot an exhaustive list of work Not a chronologyNot a chronology Not an organization structureNot an organization structure

Course on Project Management

Work Breakdown Is …Work Breakdown Is …

Not an exhaustive list of workNot an exhaustive list of work Not a chronologyNot a chronology Not an organization structureNot an organization structure Not to be changed oftenNot to be changed often

Course on Project Management

Good Work BreakdownsGood Work Breakdowns

Easy to understandEasy to understand Corresponds to job descriptionsCorresponds to job descriptions Not too detailedNot too detailed Preserve the most important Preserve the most important

relationships among the tasksrelationships among the tasks Does not add to length of project Does not add to length of project

Take Home MessageTake Home Message

Think Carefully through Work Think Carefully through Work Breakdown StructureBreakdown Structure