Work Breakdown

Structure (WBS)
Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D.
Lee Baliton
Course on Project Management
Why break up?
Improve work management
Understand resource and time
constraints
Set milestones for progress
See alternative sequencing of
components of work
Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related task
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Clear starts
and ends
Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Four
possible
relationship
s
Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Four
possible
relationship
s
1. Finish to Start: Start second task after first one
is finished
Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Four
possible
relationship
s
1. Finish to Start
2. Start to Start: Start second task same time as
first one
Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Four
possible
relationship
s
1. Finish to Start
2. Start to Start
3. Finish to Finish: Start second task so both
finish at same time

Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Four
possible
relationship
s
1. Finish to Start
2. Start to Start
3. Finish to Finish
4. Start to Finish: Second task cannot finish
before first one starts

Course on Project Management
Definition of WBS
Breaks the project scope
Inter-related task
Discrete tasks
Hierarchical tree structure
Lower level tasks
inherit the
relationships
among higher
level tasks
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
Level 1: The root
of the tree is the
project name
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
EHR implementation
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
Level 2:
Components of the
entire project
B C D
EHR implementation
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
B C D
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
Train users
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
B C D
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
Train users
E F
Level 3: Each
level 2 tasks is
broken into its
subcomponents
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
B C D
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
Train users
E F
Purchase
training
material
Detail
employees
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
B C D
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
Train users
F
E
Purchase
training
material
Detail
employees
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
A
B C D
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
Train users
F
E
Purchase
training
material
Detail
employees
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D Train users
F
E
Purchase
training
material
Detail
employees
Course on Project Management
Approaches to Developing
Work Breakdown
Guidelines
Analogy
Bottom up
Mind mapping
Course on Project Management
Approaches to Developing
Work Breakdown
Guidelines
Analogy
Bottom up
Mind mapping
Course on Project Management
Approaches to Developing
Work Breakdown
Guidelines
Analogy
Bottom up
Mind mapping
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D Train users
F
E
Purchase
training
material
Detail
employees
Course on Project Management
Hierarchy of Activities
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D Train users F
E
Purchase
training
material
Detail
employees
Course on Project Management
Approaches to Developing
Work Breakdown
Guidelines
Analogy
Bottom up
Mind mapping
Course on Project Management
Task
Mutually exclusive
Exhaustive
Course on Project Management
Task
Mutually exclusive
Exhaustive
Purchase of systems
and organizing
training may not be
mutually exclusive if
the purchase
includes training
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D Train users
Course on Project Management
Task
Mutually exclusive
Exhaustive
Course on Project Management
Breadth .vs. Depth
Focus on breadth
Let details emerge
Progressive elaboration
Creativity
Course on Project Management
Breadth .vs. Depth
Focus on breadth
Let details emerge
Progressive elaboration
Creativity
Course on Project Management
Numbering Convention
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D
Train (detail)
users
E
1.1.2
Purchase
training
material
Course on Project Management
Numbering Convention
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D
Train (detail)
users
E
1.1.2
Purchase
training
material
Course on Project Management
Numbering Convention
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D
Train (detail)
users
E
1.1.2
Purchase
training
material
Course on Project Management
Numbering Convention
EHR implementation
Purchase
system
Configure
system
A
B
C
D
Train (detail)
users
E
1.1.2
Purchase
training
material
Course on Project Management
Work Breakdown Is Not
We need to clarify some
common mistakes
Course on Project Management
A Task Is
Not a goal
Course on Project Management
A Task Is
Not a goal
Not a process
Course on Project Management
Work Breakdown Is
Not an exhaustive list of work

Course on Project Management
Work Breakdown Is
Not an exhaustive list of work
Not a chronology
Course on Project Management
Work Breakdown Is
Not an exhaustive list of work
Not a chronology
Not an organization structure
Course on Project Management
Work Breakdown Is
Not an exhaustive list of work
Not a chronology
Not an organization structure
Not to be changed often
Course on Project Management
Good Work Breakdowns
Easy to understand
Corresponds to job descriptions
Not too detailed
Preserve the most important
relationships among the tasks
Does not add to length of project

Take Home Message
Think Carefully through Work
Breakdown Structure