WPD: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

IBM Global Services

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Work Product Description (WPD)
Unique ID: ENG 362 Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2000
Version 2.0, April 2000

1 Description
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of all the activities that the project team must complete. The hierarchy has as many levels as are required to define the work. Top-level activities are broken down into second level activities that in turn are broken down into third level activities and so on. An example of such a hierarchy is phase, activity, and task. Note that, although they are both hierarchical lists, the WBS and the Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) are two very different things. The Work Breakdown Structure shows all the activities that the project team performs. The PBS shows items that the project team makes, reuses or buys.

2 Purpose
The purpose of the Work Breakdown Structure is to define all the activities that the project team must complete and so to provide a basis upon which the work can be scheduled.

2.1

Impact of Not Having This Work Product

Without a Work Breakdown Structure, the project team does not have a clear definition of the work that it is required to carry out.

2.2

Reasons for Not Needing This Work Product

The Work Breakdown Structure is a mandatory project work product.

3 Notation
3.1 Work product structure

The structure of the Work Breakdown Structure is illustrated in the following diagram.

Work Product Description

Page 1 of 4

WPD: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

No. 1 1.1 1.1.1 1.1.2 1.1.3 1.2 1.2.1 1.2.2 2

Name Phase one Activity one Task one Task two Task three Activity two Task four Task five Phase two

Type

PBS Xref

Type one Type two Type two

2.1.1 2.1.1 2.1.1

Type three Type two

2.1.2 2.1.2

3.2

Work product content

Comment Expressed as n for top level, n.n for second level, etc. A short name for the activity. A brief description of the activity. For estimating purposes, activities with the same type are assumed to require the same amounts of the same types of resource. Where applicable, the identifier of the component of the PBS that the activity (partially) builds.

Content Activity identifier (No) Activity name (Name) Activity definition Activity type (Type)

Product breakdown structure crossreference (PBS Xref)

4 Example
N/A

5 Development Approach
5.1

Overview
The Work Breakdown Structure is developed by analysis from two main sources: the PBS and work patterns.

Work Product Description

Page 2 of 4

WPD: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Where each component in the PBS has been assigned to a predefined type, the tasks that are required to make components of that type are known. It is therefore a simple matter to add these tasks to the Work Breakdown Structure. There are many other activities, such as project management activities, which are identified and then decomposed into tasks, largely by applying experience of similar situations encapsulated in work patterns. At the bottom of the hierarchy, the activities are small enough to be scheduled and tracked effectively. The Work Breakdown Structure is created during Planning and may be extended during Starting and, perhaps, at later stages in the project. Although it can be produced manually, the Work Breakdown Structure is usually built using project management software.

5.2
N/A

State flow diagram

5.3
N/A

State flow description

5.4

Related processes

The following processes use this work product as input: ChM.10.20. Analyze impact ChM.20.20. Follow-up change orders HRM.10.30. Define project organizational unit team structure HRM.30.10. Prepare orientation material QM.10.40. Expand project quality plan SuM.30.10. Orient subcontractor WPM.20.20. Expand work breakdown structure (WBS) WPM.30.10. Create project management schedule WPM.30.30. Expand project management schedule WPM.30.40. Create operational schedule WPM.30.60. Reconcile project management plans

The following processes use this work product as output: ChM.20.20. Follow-up change orders WPM.20.10. Create work breakdown structure (WBS) WPM.20.20. Expand work breakdown structure (WBS) WPM.30.60. Reconcile project management plans

Work Product Description

Page 3 of 4

WPD: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

6 Validation and Verification

The accuracy and completeness of the Work Breakdown Structure is validated by inspection and by ensuring its consistency with the other Project Management Plans, in particular, the PBS and the Project Management Schedules.

7 Advice and Guidance

See related processes.

8 References
N/A

9 Estimating Considerations
N/A

10 Revision History
Date of this release: Revision Number 2.0 1.0 Revision Date April 2000 February 2000 Base version. Date of next revision: Summary of Changes Applied new template and style, grammar and spell check. Changes Marked?

Work Product Description

Page 4 of 4