Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Contents:
1 Take Aways
- Why breaking a project into tasks is a good idea
- Defining tasks
- What is the work to be done?
- Subprojects as milestones and milestones as groups of tasks
- Milestones designate a major deliverable for development and its associated schedule and budget
- Understanding the work breakdown structure (WBS)
- Determining the right WBS levels for your project
2 Why Break a Project into Tasks?
- Puts work into most logical sequence
- Modularizing the project into manageable segments
- Determines the skills needed
- Allows communication of work to be done
- Ensures that all the work sequences are identified and understood
3 What is a Task?
- Represents some relative package of work completed toward getting the work done
- Should be unambiguous
- All work should occur within a sequential or parallel time frame
- Should only include work related items
- Should use the same team members
4 The Work Plan
- Identify the major tasks
- Organize tasks in logical sequence
- Identify team members
- Identify resources
- Communicate work to be done
- Organize related tasks into logical milestones
5 The WBS
Organizational chart for the project - tree method - outline method
6 The Network Diagram
Explains at a glance how the work on the project goes together
- shows sequences and relationships among tasks
- Identifies relationships of milestones
- Shows interrelationships of tasks in different levels of hierarchy
- Establishes a vehicle for scheduling
- Helps reduce uncertainty
7 Five Steps to Creating a Network Diagram
- List tasks using task list or WBS
- Establish relationships between tasks
- Identify milestones
- Layout tasks and milestones as a network
- Review logic
8 Resources Review
- People
- Money
- Equipment
- Facilities
- Materials and Supplies
- Information
- Technology
9 Schedule Charting
- Listings
- Calendar Charts
- Gantt Charts
- Milestone Schedules
10 The Critical Path
- Sequence of tasks that forms the longest duration of the project
- a task delayed on the critical path delays project
- other tasks are more flexible
- Easy to determine with a good network diagram - Critical path worksheet, ideal schedule worksheet