Work Packages Figure 3 shows the House Project Work Breakdown Structure expanded to Level 1, 2, and 3 Elements. But, its biggest contributions to a project are is use as a description all of the work and as a monitoring and controlling tool. The WBS is also used as the primary source of schedule and cost estimate activities. Initially, it serves as a planning tool to help the project team plan, define and organize scope with deliverables. The Work Breakdown Structure is used for many different things. Here is an example of how to make a WBS with MindView: You can read about these tools in this WBS software review. Some of them are based on mind mapping and others are drawing tools. There are many WBS software tools available. How much is too much? Since cost and schedule data collection, analysis and reporting are connected to the WBS, a very detailed WBS could require a significant amount of unnecessary effort to manage.

Export or enter the Work Breakdown Structure into a Gantt chart for further scheduling and project tracking.Ĭaution: It is possible to break the work down too much.

Decompose the Work Packages to activities as appropriate.

The descriptions should include information such as, boundaries, milestones, risks, owner, costs, etc.

Create the WBS Dictionary descriptions at the Work Package Level with detail enough to ensure that 100% of the project scope is covered.

The lowest Level Elements in the WBS are called Work Packages. The WBS Dictionary is a narrative description of the work covered in each Element in the WBS.

Define the content of the WBS Dictionary.Ask the question, would any additional decomposition make the project more manageable? If the answer is “no”, the WBS is done.Ensure that all Elements are mutually exclusive. Continue breaking down the work until the work covered in each Element is managed by a single individual or organization.This “breaking down” technique is called Decomposition. Begin the process of breaking the Level 1 deliverables into unique lower Level deliverables.This requirement is commonly referred to as the 100% Rule.

Level 1 Elements are summary deliverable descriptions that must capture 100% of the project scope. Analyze the documents and identify the deliverables.Identify the appropriate project team members.Identify content containing project deliverables, such as the Project Charter, Scope Statement and Project Management Plan (PMP) subsidiary plans.

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