WBS, Work Breakdown Structure - Revision history

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2022-04-03T11:49:48Z

Annotated bibliography

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	== Annotated bibliography ==		== Annotated bibliography ==
	*Project Management Institute, (2017). A ~~guide~~ to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (~~PMBOK guide~~). 6th ~~Edition.~~		*Project Management Institute Inc.(2017) "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOOK)" 6th edition)
	This ~~guide~~ has been used to ~~get~~ information on project management. ~~It is~~ a standard ~~from PMI~~ and ~~contains different~~ principles on project management ~~and various useful tools~~.		This book has been used to collect information about WBS and project management i generel. PMI has developed this guide as a standard, which has contains tools and principles used in project management.

	== Bibliography ==		== Bibliography ==

	<references/>		<references/>

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2022-04-03T11:46:19Z

Annotated bibliography

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	== Annotated bibliography ==		== Annotated bibliography ==
	*Project Management Institute,(2017). A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide). 6th Edition.		*Project Management Institute, (2017). A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide). 6th Edition.
	This guide has been used to get information on project management. It is a standard from PMI and contains different principles on project management and various useful tools.		This guide has been used to get information on project management. It is a standard from PMI and contains different principles on project management and various useful tools.

	~~Project Management Institute,(2011). Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures. 2nd Edition.~~
	This standard has been the essential resource of information for the WBS and project management. The book provides an understanding of how to use the WBS as a tool in project management. It presents the principles and gives information in detail on creating WBS to manage a project, program, or portfolio. Furthermore, it states which benefits implementation of the WBS can offer to a project. There can also be found some examples of the tool.

	~~DOD and NASA Guide, PERT/COST System Design, June 1962~~
	~~This book is about the evaluation of the management system and how it started. There is information on how DoD and NASA implemented the work breakdown structure and how it developed~~



	== Bibliography ==		== Bibliography ==

	<references/>		<references/>

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2022-04-02T10:59:27Z

Limitations

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	Despite the many benefits a WBS contributes to, such as making a complex project more manageable, creating an overview of the task and the budget, a WBS also has its limitations. It is important to be aware that a WBS is not a schedule or budget and can only give an estimation of these factors. As a result, the WBS must be supported by a Gantt Chart for further scheduling. Moreover, because of the simple structure, deliverables with similarity might be combined into the same chunk even though they require different tasks. This simple structure with minimal information may cause some details to be left out. As the project evolves it is crucial to keep the WBS updated. If not, the WBS won’t visualize the correct deliverables and it therefore risks being outdated as new insights are uncovered.		Despite the many benefits a WBS contributes to, such as making a complex project more manageable, creating an overview of the task and the budget, a WBS also has its limitations. It is important to be aware that a WBS is not a schedule or budget and can only give an estimation of these factors. As a result, the WBS must be supported by a Gantt Chart for further scheduling. Moreover, because of the simple structure, deliverables with similarity might be combined into the same chunk even though they require different tasks. This simple structure with minimal information may cause some details to be left out. As the project evolves it is crucial to keep the WBS updated. If not, the WBS won’t visualize the correct deliverables and it therefore risks being outdated as new insights are uncovered.
	Furthermore, there can be some limitations with regards to using either the Top-Down or Bottom-up approach when creating the WBS. The Top-Down approach minimizes the creativity in the project, because each team member has been delegated their own responsibilities and becomes unable to influence the overall process. This might also result in slow decision-making when an unexpected challenge occurs, because there are limited minds participating in the decisions.
	The Bottom-Up approach has opposite limitations as the brainstorming can lead to delays in creating a project plan and reaching the final goal. The huge influence from all team members can also lead to conflicts in the decision-making, because everybody has an idea of how the project should unroll.

	https://www.smartsheet.com/top-down-bottom-up-approach		Furthermore, there can be some limitations with regards to using either the Top-Down or Bottom-up approach when creating the WBS.

			The Top-Down approach minimizes the creativity in the project, because each team member has been delegated their own responsibilities and becomes unable to influence the overall process. This might also result in slow decision-making when an unexpected challenge occurs, because there are limited minds participating in the decisions. <ref name=>https://www.smartsheet.com/top-down-bottom-up-approach</ref>

			The Bottom-Up approach has opposite limitations as the brainstorming can lead to delays in creating a project plan and reaching the final goal. The huge influence from all team members can also lead to conflicts in the decision-making, because everybody has an idea of how the project should unroll. <ref name=>https://www.smartsheet.com/top-down-bottom-up-approach</ref>

	== Annotated bibliography ==		== Annotated bibliography ==

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2022-04-02T10:54:06Z

Limitations

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:54, 2 April 2022
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	Despite the many benefits a WBS contributes to, such as making a complex project more manageable, creating an overview of the task and the budget, a WBS also has its limitations. It is important to be aware that a WBS is not a schedule or budget and can only give an estimation of these factors. As a result, the WBS must be supported by a Gantt Chart for further scheduling. Moreover, because of the simple structure, deliverables with similarity might be combined into the same chunk even though they require different tasks. This simple structure with minimal information may cause some details to be left out. As the project evolves it is crucial to keep the WBS updated. If not, the WBS won’t visualize the correct deliverables and it therefore risks being outdated as new insights are uncovered.		Despite the many benefits a WBS contributes to, such as making a complex project more manageable, creating an overview of the task and the budget, a WBS also has its limitations. It is important to be aware that a WBS is not a schedule or budget and can only give an estimation of these factors. As a result, the WBS must be supported by a Gantt Chart for further scheduling. Moreover, because of the simple structure, deliverables with similarity might be combined into the same chunk even though they require different tasks. This simple structure with minimal information may cause some details to be left out. As the project evolves it is crucial to keep the WBS updated. If not, the WBS won’t visualize the correct deliverables and it therefore risks being outdated as new insights are uncovered.
	Furthermore, there can be some limitations with regards to using either the Top-Down or Bottom-up approach when creating the WBS. The Top-Down approach minimizes the creativity in the project, because each team member has been delegated their own responsibilities and becomes unable to influence the overall process. This might also result in slow decision-making when an unexpected challenge occurs, because there are limited minds participating in the decisions.		Furthermore, there can be some limitations with regards to using either the Top-Down or Bottom-up approach when creating the WBS. The Top-Down approach minimizes the creativity in the project, because each team member has been delegated their own responsibilities and becomes unable to influence the overall process. This might also result in slow decision-making when an unexpected challenge occurs, because there are limited minds participating in the decisions.
	The Bottom-Up approach has opposite limitations as the brainstorming can lead to delays in creating a project plan and reaching the final goal. The huge influence from all team members can also lead to conflicts in the decision-making, because everybody has an idea of how the project should unroll.		The Bottom-Up approach has opposite limitations as the brainstorming can lead to delays in creating a project plan and reaching the final goal. The huge influence from all team members can also lead to conflicts in the decision-making, because everybody has an idea of how the project should unroll.

			https://www.smartsheet.com/top-down-bottom-up-approach

	== Annotated bibliography ==		== Annotated bibliography ==

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2022-04-02T10:17:41Z

WBS elements

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	== WBS elements ==		== WBS elements ==
	There are some key components which a typical Work Breakdown Structure consists of. These components are listed below and are accompanied by a brief introduction to some of the terms subsequently used in this article.		There are some key components which a typical Work Breakdown Structure consists of. These components are listed below and are accompanied by a brief introduction to some of the terms subsequently used in this article. <ref name=>https://project-management.com/work-breakdown-structure-wbs/</ref>

	'''WBS Dictionary'''		'''WBS Dictionary'''
	To navigate in a complex project, it is important to have a WBS dictionary that defines the elements in the project work. This is a supplement to the visual tool the WBS provides and gives more detailed information about the activities in order to keep the WBS simple and with information held at a minimum. This helps accomplish the hurdle of “simple but not simplistic”. Often the substantial chunks in the Work Breakdown Structure have a title and a number that refers to the WBS Dictionary. <ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/wbs-dictionary</ref>		To navigate in a complex project, it is important to have a WBS dictionary that defines the elements in the project work. This is a supplement to the visual tool the WBS provides and gives more detailed information about the activities in order to keep the WBS simple and with information held at a minimum. This helps accomplish the hurdle of “simple but not simplistic”. Often the substantial chunks in the Work Breakdown Structure have a title and a number that refers to the WBS Dictionary. <ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/wbs-dictionary</ref>

	~~https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/wbs-dictionary~~

	'''WBS Levels'''		'''WBS Levels'''
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	'''Work Packages'''		'''Work Packages'''
	The work packages are the lowest level of the WBS. It is a group of tasks that seems like a project themselves and can therefore be assigned to a team member. These work packages help to get the tasks executed and contributes to the overarching goal of the final project. The work packages can vary in the level of detail due to the complexity and size of the project. However, the work packages must follow the “8 to 80” rule which indicates that the work should take more than 8 hours but less than 80 hours. The work packages also contribute to an estimation of costs and durations of the project.		The work packages are the lowest level of the WBS. It is a group of tasks that seems like a project themselves and can therefore be assigned to a team member. These work packages help to get the tasks executed and contributes to the overarching goal of the final project. The work packages can vary in the level of detail due to the complexity and size of the project. However, the work packages must follow the “8 to 80” rule which indicates that the work should take more than 8 hours but less than 80 hours. <ref name=>https://project-management.com/work-breakdown-structure-wbs/</ref> The work packages also contribute to an estimation of costs and durations of the project.

	== Defining the Work Breakdown Structure ==		== Defining the Work Breakdown Structure ==

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2022-04-02T10:13:17Z

WBS elements

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	'''WBS Dictionary'''		'''WBS Dictionary'''
	To navigate in a complex project, it is important to have a WBS dictionary that defines the elements in the project work. This is a supplement to the visual tool the WBS provides and gives more detailed information about the activities in order to keep the WBS simple and with information held at a minimum. This helps accomplish the hurdle of “simple but not simplistic”. Often the substantial chunks in the Work Breakdown Structure have a title and a number that refers to the WBS Dictionary.		To navigate in a complex project, it is important to have a WBS dictionary that defines the elements in the project work. This is a supplement to the visual tool the WBS provides and gives more detailed information about the activities in order to keep the WBS simple and with information held at a minimum. This helps accomplish the hurdle of “simple but not simplistic”. Often the substantial chunks in the Work Breakdown Structure have a title and a number that refers to the WBS Dictionary. <ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/wbs-dictionary</ref>

			https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/wbs-dictionary

	'''WBS Levels'''		'''WBS Levels'''

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2022-04-02T10:09:42Z

WBS elements

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	'''WBS Levels'''		'''WBS Levels'''
	The levels are an essential factor to create the hierarchical structure that makes the WBS efficient. It is important not to have too many levels in the WBS because it can cause a messy and complicated structure, which is the opposite of the main purpose of the tool - which is to make a simple and visual structure of a complex project. The most common Work Breakdown Structures have three levels, which consist of (i) the project’s main deliverables, (ii) the project’s deliverables and (iii) the work packages.		The levels are an essential factor to create the hierarchical structure that makes the WBS efficient. It is important not to have too many levels in the WBS because it can cause a messy and complicated structure, which is the opposite of the main purpose of the tool - which is to make a simple and visual structure of a complex project. The most common Work Breakdown Structures have three levels, which consist of (i) the project’s main deliverables, (ii) the project’s deliverables and (iii) the work packages. <ref name=>https://project-management.com/work-breakdown-structure-wbs/</ref>

	https://project-management.com/work-breakdown-structure-wbs/

	'''Project Deliverables'''		'''Project Deliverables'''

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2022-04-02T10:09:06Z

WBS elements

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	'''WBS Levels'''		'''WBS Levels'''
	The levels are an essential factor to create the hierarchical structure that makes the WBS efficient. It is important not to have too many levels in the WBS because it can cause a messy and complicated structure, which is the opposite of the main purpose of the tool - which is to make a simple and visual structure of a complex project. The most common Work Breakdown Structures have three levels, which consist of (i) the project’s main deliverables, (ii) the project’s deliverables and (iii) the work packages.		The levels are an essential factor to create the hierarchical structure that makes the WBS efficient. It is important not to have too many levels in the WBS because it can cause a messy and complicated structure, which is the opposite of the main purpose of the tool - which is to make a simple and visual structure of a complex project. The most common Work Breakdown Structures have three levels, which consist of (i) the project’s main deliverables, (ii) the project’s deliverables and (iii) the work packages.

			https://project-management.com/work-breakdown-structure-wbs/

	'''Project Deliverables'''		'''Project Deliverables'''
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	'''Work Packages'''		'''Work Packages'''
	The work packages are the lowest level of the WBS. It is a group of tasks that seems like a project themselves and can therefore be assigned to a team member. These work packages help to get the tasks executed and contributes to the overarching goal of the final project. The work packages can vary in the level of detail due to the complexity and size of the project. However, the work packages must follow the “8 to 80” rule which indicates that the work should take more than 8 hours but less than 80 hours. The work packages also contribute to an estimation of costs and durations of the project.		The work packages are the lowest level of the WBS. It is a group of tasks that seems like a project themselves and can therefore be assigned to a team member. These work packages help to get the tasks executed and contributes to the overarching goal of the final project. The work packages can vary in the level of detail due to the complexity and size of the project. However, the work packages must follow the “8 to 80” rule which indicates that the work should take more than 8 hours but less than 80 hours. The work packages also contribute to an estimation of costs and durations of the project.

	== Defining the Work Breakdown Structure ==		== Defining the Work Breakdown Structure ==

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2022-04-02T09:52:55Z

Work Breakdown Structure

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	== Work Breakdown Structure ==		== Work Breakdown Structure ==
	A Work Breakdown Structure is an efficient tool used in Project Management to simply break the work down into various subsections that create a structured approach to the project.<ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/</ref> A WBS is a product-oriented family tree that identifies the deliverables required to achieve the project end. In the PMBOK the Work Breakdown Structure is defined as "The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. The WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project and represents the work specified in the current approved project scope statement." <ref name=>Project management institute inc.(2017) "A Guide to the ~~project management, body~~ of ~~knowledge~~ (PMBOOK)" 6th edition) /</ref>		A Work Breakdown Structure is an efficient tool used in Project Management to simply break the work down into various subsections that create a structured approach to the project.<ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/</ref> A WBS is a product-oriented family tree that identifies the deliverables required to achieve the project end. In the PMBOK the Work Breakdown Structure is defined as "The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. The WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project and represents the work specified in the current approved project scope statement." <ref name=>Project management institute inc.(2017) "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOOK)" 6th edition)</ref>
	The Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical and visualized approach to divide the work into several substantial chunks, which further breaks down into new more detailed chunks where each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. This decomposition creates an overview of the tasks needed to accomplish the project and makes it more manageable. The WBS is a powerful tool to use in the planning phase to help kickstart the project and to visualize how the project can evolve. It further enables increased tracking in later stages of the project as specific tasks are completed.		The Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical and visualized approach to divide the work into several substantial chunks, which further breaks down into new more detailed chunks where each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. This decomposition creates an overview of the tasks needed to accomplish the project and makes it more manageable. The WBS is a powerful tool to use in the planning phase to help kickstart the project and to visualize how the project can evolve. It further enables increased tracking in later stages of the project as specific tasks are completed.

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2022-04-02T09:51:32Z

Work Breakdown Structure

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	== Work Breakdown Structure ==		== Work Breakdown Structure ==
	A Work Breakdown Structure is an efficient tool used in Project Management to simply break the work down into various subsections that create a structured approach to the project.<ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/</ref> A WBS is a product-oriented family tree that identifies the deliverables required to achieve the project end. In the PMBOK the Work Breakdown Structure is defined as "The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. The WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project and represents the work specified in the current approved project scope statement." <ref name=>A Guide to the project management, body of knowledge (PMBOOK, 6th edition) /</ref>		A Work Breakdown Structure is an efficient tool used in Project Management to simply break the work down into various subsections that create a structured approach to the project.<ref name=>https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/</ref> A WBS is a product-oriented family tree that identifies the deliverables required to achieve the project end. In the PMBOK the Work Breakdown Structure is defined as "The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. The WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project and represents the work specified in the current approved project scope statement." <ref name=>Project management institute inc.(2017) "A Guide to the project management, body of knowledge (PMBOOK)" 6th edition) /</ref>
	The Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical and visualized approach to divide the work into several substantial chunks, which further breaks down into new more detailed chunks where each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. This decomposition creates an overview of the tasks needed to accomplish the project and makes it more manageable. The WBS is a powerful tool to use in the planning phase to help kickstart the project and to visualize how the project can evolve. It further enables increased tracking in later stages of the project as specific tasks are completed.		The Work Breakdown Structure is a hierarchical and visualized approach to divide the work into several substantial chunks, which further breaks down into new more detailed chunks where each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. This decomposition creates an overview of the tasks needed to accomplish the project and makes it more manageable. The WBS is a powerful tool to use in the planning phase to help kickstart the project and to visualize how the project can evolve. It further enables increased tracking in later stages of the project as specific tasks are completed.