Question

What is a WBS? What is its purpose? What elements constitute a WBS list? What type of information is required to create a WBS? There are various naming conventions for WBS codes, why is the hierarchical naming convention used the most? Find an example of a WBS on the internet; what items do you see in the WBS coding structure? Does it match the description outlined in the book? Why or why not.

Answer 1

Answering the first 4 questions as per Chegg Guidelines:

1. What is a WBS? What is its purpose?

One of the various project controls which can be used by an organization, is the Work breakdown Structure (WBS). In a WBS, the overall project gets segregated into various tasks which can be allotted to various resources. This helps in tracking the project behavior and overall status. Each descending level of the WBS represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work.

2. What elements constitute a WBS list?

The essential components of WBS are as follows:

• Project deliverables: The WBS must highlight the project deliverables which are required for successful project completion.
• WBS Dictionary: WBS Dictionary is a document which is developed with the objective of giving detailed information about the project, its schedule and budget, the various constraints, assumptions and regulations which must be follows as well as the quality requirements and acceptance criteria of the customers.
• WBS levels: The WBS levels can be projects, tasks or distinct phases of the project. Different levels can be used to denote the detailing of each element.
• Labor codes: This element classifies the work to be done in each WBS level
• Organization: This element denotes the primary company whose WBS is being developed

3. What type of information is required to create a WBS?

The manager must lay down the WBS(work break-down structure) of the project and must allocate tasks to the project members. Each member will have ownership for specific tasks and it will be his or her duty to maintain the updated status of the same in the common project platform. In team meetings, the task owner will be required to share the updated status of his or her task and keep the entire team on the same page.

The structured way of developing a WBS is as follows:

• Project Scope and Objectives must be drafted based on the customer’s needs and requirements
• Milestones and Major deliverables of the project must be identified and highlighted
• Major elements having distinct roles in the project must be identified
• The project must get broken down to nuclear level and different tasks and deliverables must be identified
• A work breakdown structure (WBS) for the project must be developed

4. There are various naming conventions for WBS codes, why is the hierarchical naming convention used the most?

A hierarchical naming convention helps in segregating the different levels of a WBS. The project flow can be distinguishingly represented using this convention. The hierarchical naming convention helps in maintaining clarity of the WBS and any kind of confusions can be solved by a simple reference to the WBS.

Example of WBS: