A work breakdown structure (WBS) turns a project's full scope into an organized hierarchy of manageable components. It gives a project team a shared view of what the project must deliver and provides a foundation for estimating costs and developing schedules.
A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical decomposition of the total project scope into the work needed to accomplish objectives and create required deliverables. It can be displayed as an outline or as a tree, with the overall project at the top and progressively smaller components beneath it.
All flashcards
What is a work breakdown structure?
A hierarchical decomposition of the project's total scope into manageable components that collectively support project objectives and deliverables.
What is a work package?
A lowest-level WBS component for which cost and duration are estimated and managed.
What does a deliverable-oriented WBS organize around?
Key products or deliverables of the project.
What does a phase-oriented WBS organize around?
Major stages or phases in the project lifecycle.
What is progressive elaboration?
Adding detail iteratively as the team's understanding of the project improves.
Quiz questions
What does the 100% rule require of a WBS?Answer: It accounts for all in-scope work, including project management, without adding out-of-scope work.
Why should WBS elements be mutually exclusive?Answer: To prevent scope overlap that can cause duplicated effort and unclear responsibility.
Why are outcome-focused WBS elements generally clearer than action lists?Answer: They define results while leaving the team flexibility to choose effective methods.
What does the 80-hour rule suggest for lowest-level WBS work?Answer: As a planning heuristic, it should generally take no more than 80 hours to produce a deliverable.
What is the primary purpose of a WBS dictionary?Answer: To clarify the scope and other details of individual WBS components.