Work Breakdown Structure
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), or project breakdown structure, is a project management tool that the project manager can use to represent all the project work. The team can create a WBS in any project but is more normal to use it on projects that are big, complex, and with several stages. Moreover, the main purpose of the WBS is to turn the project into a more manageable project. As a result, how dividing the project into smaller pieces, the project manager and the project team will be more aware of all the work necessary to complete the project and which activities depend of others. Further, this will simplify the work and make things move faster. The smaller pieces in which deliverables are divided are normally called work packages. Further, the project manager can then allocate each work package to different roles, persons, departments, or even units.
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How to create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?
The first task to develop the WBS is to review the project scope with stakeholders to guarantee that is correct and all the objectives are there. Then the project manager should translate the scope into deliverables and then those deliverables on work packages. Moreover, these deliverables and work packages should be as transparent as possible. Furthermore, noting should be hidden.
The project manager should represent all deliverables and work packages in a document, graphic, or template. Moreover, the more visual this tool is, the better. For example, a look-like tree template can be the perfect solution, or even a mind-mapping.
After all deliverables are divided into smaller deliverables and then those smaller deliverables into work packages, the project manager can allocate them to a person, department, organization, supplier, or another stakeholder that has the knowledge to deliver the work package.
The final steps that the project manager should take are:
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- See if all work is included
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- Check if the sum of the work packages will be the same as the deliverable right above them.
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- Finally, confirm that no one has excessive work allocation.