The method of breaking down tasks into smaller assignments is a common practice or productivity strategy that is utilized to make more manageable and approachable work. This practice is called the Work Breakdown Structure or WBS which is a project management tool used to determine a project’s scope of work, deliverables, costs and expenses, and schedule management plans to ensure that all project plans are aligned.
30+ WBS Samples
1. Work Breakdown Structure Template
2. Team Work Breakdown Structure Template
3. Software Work Breakdown Structure Template
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5. Engineering Project WBS Template
6. Project Management WBS Template
7. Gantt Chart WBS Template
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12. Farm Work Breakdown Structure Foundation
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16. Private Network WBS Template
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20. Financial Reporting WBS
21. WBS Construction Activity Example
22. Work Breakdown Structure Table
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24. WBS Dictionary Template
25. WBS Underground Construction
26. WBS Document Template
27. WBS Reference Template
28. Construction Phase WBS
29. WBS Element Change Form
30. Website Project WBS Template
31. Editable WBS Worksheet
What is WBS?
The work breakdown structure (WBS) is part of a company’s project management that involves dividing and conquerings large projects into smaller tasks to get these assignments done more efficiently and effectively. Instead of focusing on each action that must be done to complete a project, WBS focuses on deliverables or measurable milestones. Other tools that companies can use include project management Gantt charts, project baseline, team building activities, and project management communication plans.
How to Create a WBS
Work breakdown structures are outlines of tasks that were broken down into smaller assignments to help businesses organize, visualize, and manage their projects more efficiently. It also provides a framework for detailed cost estimates and quality control as well as an overall guide for project schedule and time management. As it is displayed visually, work breakdown structures can be created with the use of a combination of workflow management systems and project management frameworks.
Step 1: Gather Project Requirements
Collection of project requirements can be challenging, however, you can use different methods to acquire them. Some of them include the use of questionnaires, expert judgment from one’s own experience, creating mind maps with the team, and reviewing historical project data.
Step 2: Set Project Phases or Deliverables and Break Them Into Smaller Tasks
Determine how you should approach your deliverables then document each of your phases using the appropriate WBS template. Break these phases or deliverables into smaller assignments by identifying their critical factors.
Step 3: Establish a Time Estimate for Each Task
You can estimate the time to complete each task when breaking them into smaller tasks. You can take advantage of features or software that provides you with the project data overview on a dashboard to make you better understand the tasks, time, and costs associated with each of them.
Step 4: Review and Share the Final WBS
Make sure that your tasks are not duplicated elsewhere in your WBS and are not broken down too far, otherwise, you will end up implementing micromanagement in your team. Then, ask your team for a final review to make the necessary changes in the WBS.
FAQs
What are the tips when making a work breakdown structure?
If you are creating a work breakdown structure, make sure that you are using a hierarchical structure, follow the 100% rule, and use mutually exclusive elements and outcome-oriented elements.
What are the benefits of utilizing a work breakdown structure?
With a work breakdown structure, you can observe an increase in the accuracy of your project estimates, provides a development roadmap for your project plan and team, helps in preventing scope creep, establish a schedule and timeline, improve research allocation, establish a predictable workflow, and identify possible risks.
What templates can be used to outline a WBS?
To outline your WBS, you can use a WBS spreadsheet, flowchart, a to-do list of tasks, and a Gantt chart.
Project management tools are created and designed to help individuals as well as teams efficiently manage their tasks and projects. One of these tasks is the work breakdown structure which is a diagram that visually represents the connections between a project’s objectives, milestones, and deliverables. The main purpose of this diagram is to make more manageable and quantifiable tasks by breaking down one’s work into smaller tasks.
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