Building Effective Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)

Regardless of the life cycle approach, successful project management requires a comprehensive and detailed plan . As defined in the PMBOK Guide - Seventh Edition the initial step in the planning process is understanding the business case, the stakeholder’s requirements, and the project scope. While the project scope defines the work that needs to be performed to deliver the outcome of the project, the WBS is a framework for planning, controlling, executing, and managing the project´s work to complete its deliverables successfully .

Among the cited reasons for project management failure include poor planning (time), resource constraints (budget), and scope changes . The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), if implemented effectively, 1) could prove to be a valuable tool for scheduling and resource allocation and 2) could provide the baseline for change control . Therefore, the WBS represents a tool that could support project managers in clearly defining the scope of the project which in turn increases the chances of having a project management success in terms of delivering on time, within budget, and in scope .

The purpose of this article is to serve as a guide for project managers in:

1. Understanding the purpose and importance of creating a WBS.
2. Identifying the key characteristics and components of a WBS.
3. Implementing a delivered-oriented WBS effectively in different project life cycles.
4. Evaluating the quality and completeness of a WBS.

Developed by Luisa Fernanda Salazar Rivera