I Dove Deep Into Work Breakdown Structures — Here‘s What I’ve Learned

Right here’s a fast reality. Earlier than writing this text, I came across Akin’s laws, which aptly summarize work breakdown constructions. The enjoyable “legislation” reads: It is referred to as a Work Breakdown Construction as a result of the Work remaining will develop till you might have a Breakdown, except you implement some Construction on it. This legislation is obvious and true!

Jokes apart, whereas learning to amass my undertaking administration diploma, I discovered an instructive notice within the PMBOK information. The guide, which is a go-to supply for undertaking managers, warns that “no undertaking ought to be and not using a WBS.”

And not using a work breakdown construction (WBS), your initiatives have a excessive likelihood of exceeding their deadlines and budgets, and never assembly stakeholder expectations. You need none of those.

So, on this information, I’ll lean on my expertise as a undertaking administration skilled to share what I’ve discovered about work breakdown constructions. You’ll additionally get insights from trade specialists who will aid you find out about WBS.

Desk of Contents

In keeping with Jeffrey Pinto, an writer and professor, the WBS is a planning mechanism for realizing the interrelationship of assorted actions in a undertaking. In its easiest type, the WBS appears to be like such as you see within the template beneath:

Source

Based mostly on what I discovered from Pinto, each WBS has at the least 4 ranges in project management.

Nonetheless, in case your undertaking is advanced, you’ll have extra sub-deliverables, and your work package deal will proceed growing.

Listed here are the 4 ranges of a WBS for a easy undertaking.

As an instance, I’ll clarify these ranges with the WBS for a advertising and marketing convention.

Prime-Stage/Stage 1

The highest degree of the WBS covers the complete undertaking scope. It’s additionally the ultimate deliverable, which outlines what I need to accomplish. For this undertaking, the highest degree is a “advertising and marketing convention plan.”

Stage 2

The second degree of the WBS outlines the main undertaking parts. It additionally reduces the undertaking scope into models that function deliverables.

Deliverables embody options for merchandise or phases for duties. My undertaking is a collection of eight duties. You’ll discover I numbered every deliverable at this degree (and for the decrease ranges).

It is a deliberate ingredient, which is absent from some WBS I’ve seen.

Professional tip: Numbering a piece breakdown construction helps with readability, group, and monitoring. With numbering, I’ve a logical and visible approach to know the connection between deliverables, sub-deliverables, and work packages. This makes it straightforward to discover a work ingredient, particularly for a big undertaking.

Stage 3

The third degree of the WBS is the sub-deliverable. Every sub-deliverable is a element of the primary deliverable you’ll present to your stakeholders.

When contemplating an merchandise as a sub-deliverable, a consideration is the benefit of managing it. As an example, the sub-deliverable, researching potential venues (2.1), matches this invoice.

Why? It’s manageable. I can assign some hours to it. The price is minimal.

If you happen to’re making your individual WBS, undoubtedly use a template to get you began.

Actions

The final degree of the WBS is actions. Consider actions like atoms. They’re the smallest components inside a sub-deliverable or deliverable.

As an example, to ship the occasion planning and technique, I might want to execute the next actions:

• 1.1 Outline targets and targets

• 1.1.1 Conduct a kickoff assembly with stakeholders
• 1.1.2 Draft a listing of measurable targets
• 1.1.3 Finalize targets in a undertaking constitution

• 1.2 Determine target market

• 1.2.1 Conduct market analysis
• 1.2.2 Create viewers personas
• 1.2.3 Validate personas with stakeholders

• 1.3 Develop occasion theme and branding

• 1.3.1 Brainstorm theme concepts
• 1.3.2 Design emblem and branding supplies
• 1.3.3 Approve theme and branding with stakeholders

• 1.4 Set a price range and allocate sources

• 1.4.1 Determine key expense classes
• 1.4.2 Create an preliminary price range plan
• 1.4.3 Get price range approval from stakeholders

• 1.5 Create undertaking timeline and milestones

• 1.5.1 Draft an in depth undertaking schedule
• 1.5.2 Determine key milestones
• 1.5.3 Share the timeline with the workforce

Whereas this negates the worth of a WBS, one expert argues that Agile groups shouldn’t use the excuse of agile to not plan and threat having scope creep.

“Whereas I get {that a} full waterfall model WBS could be crucial in a building undertaking, they [agile teams] cannot go full no estimates on initiatives with inter-team dependencies, multi-fiscal-quarter supply dates, and something greater than 5 workforce members.”

“At a minimal, all necessities of the tip product ought to be documented, a roadmap of all main deliverables ought to be communicated, they need to be performing some equal of a WBS for the subsequent two weeks of labor and ideally as much as the tip of the subsequent milestone, and a tough define of how the whole lot else goes to return collectively,” they add.

A WBS aids undertaking price range estimation.

A piece breakdown construction isn’t only a planning device — it helps with budgeting. By breaking my undertaking into detailed actions, the WBS makes it straightforward to assign budgets.

Price range overruns stay a pervasive situation in undertaking administration. In a BCG survey of 403 respondents, 49% stated over 30% of their group’s know-how improvement initiatives exceeded their budgets. Tech initiatives use Agile due to the pliability and iterative progress it presents.

Whereas I perceive {that a} pre-established price range runs in opposition to the Agile mindset, incorporating a WBS into dash planning helps. Assigning budgets on the dash degree permits groups to stay adaptable whereas sustaining monetary self-discipline.

A WBS captures all work packages.

I’ve discovered that making a WBS forces me to assume critically about each side of a undertaking. From main milestones to granular deliverables, every work package deal is accounted for. This not solely helps visualize the scope of the undertaking but in addition ensures nothing is ignored.

However earlier than penning down each package deal, speaking to stakeholders is significant. Not doing so is one cause for the current and monumental failure of the Excessive-Pace Rail 2 in the UK.

In keeping with Tejvan Pettinger, an economist, “[High-Speed Rail 2] dangers being a £50 billion white elephant and a monument to poor planning.”

Pettinger didn’t counsel that the HS2 workforce didn’t have a complete WBS — nevertheless, he makes a verifiable declare of fixed modifications to the undertaking scope.

And as we’ve established, when this occurs, the undertaking will get derailed on virtually all fronts and the workforce has to return to the drafting board.

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2. Estimate time and sources.

I take advantage of the WBS to determine how lengthy every activity will take and what sources are wanted. This makes it simpler to create a sensible schedule and price range.

3. Facilitate communication.

The WBS is a good way to maintain everybody on the identical web page. It helps align workforce members and stakeholders on the undertaking’s scope, duties, and timelines.

4. Handle dangers.

I search for potential dangers in every WBS ingredient and create plans to handle them earlier than they disrupt the undertaking.

5. Combine with undertaking administration instruments.

I’m a fan of instruments like Trello and Asana. Inputting the whole thing of my WBS into these instruments makes it straightforward to assist preserve monitor of duties, handle sources, and generate experiences.