What is a Work Breakdown Structure?
A work breakdown structure is simply a tiered decomposition of work that needs to be completed by a project team to create deliverables. One of the most common project management interview questions that interviewers ask is “what is a work breakdown structure”, along with a follow up question to describe how you would develop one. The significance of asking this question is because a work breakdown structure is one of the most fundamental aspects of project management that a Project Manager needs to fully understand to effectively plan out their projects.
Benefits of a WBS in Project Management
Without a well-defined work breakdown structure, it is entirely possible that deadlines and key deliverables will be missed because the total scope of work was either unaccounted for, or not well broken-down. Here are some of the main benefits of utilizing a work breakdown structure while running a project:
- Identification of Work Packages and Tasks
A work breakdown structure identifies deliverables along with all the work required to produce them. The breakdown of large tasks into their smallest units of work helps ensure that everything gets accounted for during the planning process thereby preventing the need for re-work in the future.
- Ease of Tracking
With the knowledge of all the work packages and sub-projects within a work breakdown structure, it becomes easier for a Project Manager to track all the work that is being performed and thereby increasing the odds of keeping the project within scope. Work dependencies can also be easily established so that buffers are put in place to prevent them from having huge impacts on subsequent tasks.
- Simplified Resource Allocation
Once the project deliverables have been broken down into sub-projects and work packages, the Project Manager can easily assign resources to the identified work and have confidence in knowing that all possible work that could arise within the project has been assigned. This is not to say that there is no possibility of any new work being introduced into the project, but those would have to follow a change management process.
Tips for Creating a WBS
- Focus on In-Scope Items
There are lots of deliverables that get identified during the planning phase of a project, however, the Project Manager should only focus on the in-scope items when developing a work breakdown structure. This will allow them to concentrate on the objectives while also promoting efficiency by paying attention to defining only the tasks that would need to be assigned to resources to produce project deliverables.
- Obtain Support from Project Team
A great Project Manager will always ensure that they obtain support from their project team specifically on tasks that they have assigned resources to for a given project. People always work better when they feel like they were part of making a decision that affected them as opposed to assigning tasks to them and requesting for status updates. The support from the project team will come in their commitment to meeting deadlines, as well as in their alignment on the objectives of the project during the development of a work breakdown structure.
- Work with Subject Matter Experts During Planning
A Project Manager may sometimes not be knowledgeable on the specific work packages and breakdowns that are associated with the development of some of the technical features of a project. In such instances, it pays to leverage the input of subject matter experts while breaking down larger scope items in areas where they possess expert judgment on the size of the work packages, and the resources required to complete them on time.
At PM Imperative, we cover the latest trends in Project Management and Product Management. As PM practitioners, we understand the value the Project Managers and Product Managers bring to each organization and that’s why we focus on the most practical strategies that Project and Product Managers can implement immediately. If you found this post useful, be sure to check out our latest book: The PM Imperative – Guide for Leading & Managing Projects, People & Delivering Value. https://pmimperative.com/shop/
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