What is a Work Breakdown Structure - WBS? PM in Under 5
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- The Work Breakdown Structure (or WBS) is one of the most basic and most important of your Project Management toolset.
So, what is a Work Breakdown Structure?
Here, Dr Mike Clayton, founder of OnlinePMCourse..., answers this question, in under 5 minutes.
We also now have a follow-up video on how to create a WBS: • How to Create a Work B...
In the video, it says we have a video about Network Charts.
In fact, we have two videos; one for each of the main conventions:
- What is the Critical Path Method (CPM)? | • What is the Critical P...
- What is a PERT Chart? | • What is a PERT Chart? ...
I hope you enjoy them!
You might also like…
What is Milestone Planning? • What is Milestone Plan...
What is Capabilities Based Planning? • What is Capabilities B...
And do take a look at our article, 'The Secret to creating a WBS with a Mind Map'
onlinepmcourse...
My basic introductory book to Project Management is How to Manage a Great Project (published by Pearson): geni.us/4Iz6M (affiliated link).
Please:
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...or subscribe to our TH-cam Channel by clicking here: / @onlinepmcourses
This is this guy is like the blue's clues of project management.
I think that's a positive. I aim to make things easy to understand...
Thank you. I'm taking a PMI course by Andrew Ramdayal. He is awesome. But you filled in a gap in my learning on this subject and I appreciate you. Cheers!
Thank you. I have not heard of Andrew Ramdayal, but I wish you well with your studies.
For more on WBS, check out this video: How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure: A WBS Masterclass th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
A great summary. I liked the callout for creating a workstream for Project Management as part of the project schedule. This is useful to also inform Project Manager's capacity.
Thank you, Marius - for more on WBS: th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
Great explanation. Currently, I am a student of project management program. Work breakdown structure topic is very important in project management. I learned so much from this video about work breakdown structure. Thank you so much for this tutorial.
Glad it was helpful!
For more on how to actually create a WBS, I made this follow-up video: th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
Two Important Additions:
1. We now have a follow-up video on how to create a WBS: th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
2. Viewer, David Cian commented (see below) to remind me of something I had forgotten (thank you, David).
I like to give proper credit for ideas, models, and frameworks.
David reminded me of something I must have forgotten over 20 years ago. Of two things, actually:
1. The MECE framework was coined by Barbara Minto. You can find it in her 1996 book, The Minto Pyramid Principle geni.us/9cbjvBs - I haven't re-read it since the late 1990s
2. MECE actually stands for (p82 in my copy) Mutually Exclusive (of each other) Collectively Exhaustive (in terms of the whole).
:-)
Thumbs up - Wanted to understand WBS better and this explains it well. Thank you.
That's great to hear.
I like this guy!
Thanks!
@@Onlinepmcourses Loved the
Very helpful, thank you!
You're welcome, Bruce.
This is brilliant!
Thank you, Shahil
I’ve tried both the UK and US approach. I agree the UK version works a bit better if your responsibility as a PM is only to deliver the solution. I find the US approach is a far better method if your responsibility is to your stakeholders and project sponsor who are only interested in what, when and how much, and not how. I report on the progress of the deliverables. My stakeholders trust me to figure out the how. They are only really interested in when they will get their solution and how much it will end up costing. They are only mildly interested in what it takes to deliver those results and mostly only to understand why it costs what it does.
Great insight. We should choose our approach to fit the situation and your example seems spot-on to me. Thank you.
Technically, the C in MECE stands for Collectively (instead of Completely), as originally coined by Barbara Minto from McKinsey, but great video otherwise!
David, thank you. As soon as I saw your comment, I went straight to my copy of The Minto Pyramid Principle, which I haven't read since the late 1990s. And... You are right!
Here's the thing: I do like to credit people, yet I have been using this for years, without recalling where I first came across it. So, look out for a pinned comment on this video, crediting Minto... and you!
0:55 is that what PCA is about?
I looked up PCA (Principal component analysis) - I don't think we are talking about the same domain here.
@@Onlinepmcourses what if you consider levels of WBS as separate dimensions
@@danielkrajnik3817 I'm afraid I don't have a clear enough understanding of PCA to answer you with confidence.
@@Onlinepmcourses what is understanding
@@danielkrajnik3817 Now I think you're messing with me. I can't answer your question.
'Whereof one cannot speak; thereof one must remain silent' said Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Bro has the biggest adams apple in England
and...
*PM in Under 7*
Better to stretch the format than skip some information.
Great Presentation, Great value in just 6.44 mins, Sir you've just put to shame many lecturers.
Thank you!
Detailed but would love to see explanation with simple examples
Thank you - you may also like our more recent video: How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure: A WBS Masterclass th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
5 years later and this video is still relevant. Thank you so much Mike! :D
You're very welcome!
I love the reference!
Cheers!
Watching and learning in 2024. I should've watched your videos when I started research years ago.
Glad you've arrived here now!
I think I disagree with this video. The Statement of Work, or Scope of Work (SOW) or Statement of Objectives (SOO) is the artifact that defines the scope of work. When you and the client disagree about what's inside the scope, it's the SOW or SOO that you'll turn to. On the other hand, the Work Breakdown Structure is not a description of scope, it's a description of how you're going to organize and track the work being done. I think of the SOW as being like a contractual tool ("used to solve disputes") and the WBS as being almost like a financial tool ("how we're going to organize and track the use of resources").
I would agree that the SOW is the contractual statement of the scope. It may well use a WBS dictionary to articulate that scope. See also my videos on:
1. What is a Statement of Work (SOW)? And what are the different types? th-cam.com/video/1picY6dlLOc/w-d-xo.html
2. How to Create a Work Breakdown Structure: A WBS Masterclass th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
This video has helped me so so so so much I'm also sending the link to my professor as well for other students who struggled like I did grasping the concepts. Some of the books just do a bad job of making it simple and applying real world mechanics to the ideas
It's really lovely to hear when my videos help people. Thank you for telling me, Petzi.
Mutually exclusive, completely exhaustive
Indeed!
Automatically loved this guy.
I like the little humour added to the knowledge.
Thx very much for your videos.
Glad you like them!
Spectacular. Helping a lot with planning my Engineering dissertation but clearly applicable over many (if not all) fields I can think of. Thanks very much.
Absolutely - the idea of breaking down work is also the key to personal productivity.
Big job = resistance and procrastination.
Lots of small jobs = do the first one quickly and easily. Now you have the momentum to do the second...
totally agree, it is a great visualization! also, wbs is multi-applicable in general, as we could build in for any project, should this be engineering, marketing, constructions, etc.
This was great, thanks, I have been researching "what are the steps to write a project?" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you ever come across - Biycarlett Astounded Builder - (should be on google have a look ) ? It is a good one of a kind product for discovering how to download thousands of business and project management templates without the normal expense. Ive heard some decent things about it and my partner got cool success with it.
currently taking project management & I have to say the UK version is so much better; sadly I have to do the US version.
Ha-ha - ah well. Once you pass whatever tests you need to take, you can manage your projects any way you choose!
I preffer the UK aproach.
Me too!
Do you do individual consultations? I am developing a project within a nonprofit organization that has approximately a million directions it could go; I'd love some insight as to how to really break down the project components!!
I do - email me at mike@onlinepmcourses.com
My college (SNHU) is using your video to explain a WBS. Great video!
That's great!
SNHU gang!
Your delivery makes it so easy to understand, thank you
Thank you for your comment, Daniel.
Loads more of these on the channel and do take a look at our website: onlinepmcourses.com
That's a great video about a great way of woirking... as long as a project doesn't live in a rapidly changing environment. For that, we have agile.
Thanks, Olivier.
Agile and traditional PM both have their place - as, indeed, do hybrid approaches that combine the methods and merits of both. Anyone interested to learn when each is at its best and how hybrids work, can read Agile vs Waterfall: Which one is Right for Your Project? onlinepmcourses.com/agile-vs-waterfall/
The way you explained WBS is very effective.
Thank you.
great visualization of the WBS creation approach!
Glad you liked it!
The best explanation so far in my humble opinion
Thank you.
Great video. Liked how you compared the UK and the US and the differences on how they break it all down. Cheers!
Thanks Adriana!
When doing wbs do we include meetings?
I would say 'yes, if it helps you plan and understand your work' and 'no, if it does not'. But absolutely, put your Project Management tasks or deliverables onto your WBS, so, if you want to go as granular as your meetings, then this is a perfectly sensible approach. Remember this: there are no rules: just what helps you deliver your projects effectively, efficiently, and accountably.
i got what i needed,thanks alot
You're welcome.
Great job. thank you so much
Thanks- you're very welcme.
just found this and am having exams tomorrow.. am so gonna sleep on tube today.....
Good luck, Watson.
In create wbs process there is a tool defined in the pmbok is DECOMPOSITION , in pmbok decomposition generally involves 5 steps . The last step stays " verifying that the degree of decomposition of the deliverables is appropriate" . I am super confused what does this point means ... Could you please explain it to me please ?
Curiously, in a couple of weeks, I will be releasing How to Create a WBS: th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
What I understand by an appropriate degree of decomposition is that you need enough level of detail that the person who will do the work/create the product can fully understand what they need to do. But don't go more granular than they need.
I prefer to not use a numbering sequence. I prefer to use abbreviations of the work. Numbering can get out of sequence then the numbers mean nothing. Level 1 is the project name. Level 2, for example, non-process, process. NPRO, PROC. Under NPRO there can be things like PL (Parking Lot), LS (Landscaping), and so on. Process (PROC), would list the systems. Process Water (PW), Chromatography (CHROM), Buffer Prep (BP) and so on. Each system has similar parts. For example structural steel, piping, electrical, etc. That would be level 4. So, let's say piping for the BP system. PN.PROC.BP.PIPE. If you want to filter for all piping, "WBS is under "PIPE". If it were numbers, would there be very much confidence that a filter for that number would just show piping?
Why not use both the numbers AND the abbreviations?
Either way, this is a tool, so I say, use it in whatever way works best for you and your team. If it works better for you doing it your way, then stick to that.
For more on how to create a WBS: th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
Great summary for the topic and very well represented. Am a student of project management and with this video you have cleared all my doubts about WBS.
Thank you so much.
My pleasure.
I also have a follow-up video on how to create a WBS: th-cam.com/video/PyR2VLP3xnA/w-d-xo.html
Fantastic presentation, i have started my project management course recently and this was confusing for me for first time but your content , way of explanation has made it all clear to me. Cheers!
Thank you, Kiranjeet.
Sir check that to a doctor, i think you might have a tumor on your neck
Thank you for your concern, but no. It's my adam's apple. And it has not grown in the 30 months since I recorded that video.
@@Onlinepmcourses okay glad your fine
@@rossocorsa6577 Cheers!
At 2:10 you have text that says “Network Chart - We Have A Video” - but I can’t find one with those words on your channel. Please advise?
You're quite right, Eric - thank you.
In fact, we have two videos; one for each of the main conventions:
What is the Critical Path Method (CPM)? | th-cam.com/video/rxGcV0tuxRU/w-d-xo.html
What is a PERT Chart? | th-cam.com/video/i160aaBX7mE/w-d-xo.html
I hope you enjoy them!
i enjoyed the funny opening
Thanks
Thumbs up Mike.
The 'rant' has made me understand why I struggle with Gaant charts. If a WBS can be represented on a Gaant chart, what would be the equivalent /most appropriate tool for representing a Product breakdown structure? Thx
That would be a deliverable chart, Jo - but the easiest approach is to mark the stages of deliverable completion as milestones - possibly as distinct milestone types with their own symbol - on your Gantt Chart.
For example:
square = practical completion
triangle = test pass
star = final sign-off or handoover
@@Onlinepmcourses Aaaah I see - that's really helpful. Thanks Mike
Well done!
Thanks!
Excellent videos
Thank you very much!
And yet companies these days keep on mixing the activity and product approach to produce faster and more stressful products.
So much so , that they have given a name to this approach called the hybrid approach
Ansh - I have never seen this as a deliberate confusion and certainly, where I have encountered the term hybrid in Project management, it has referred to a hybrid of traditional predictive PM and Agile methods. That said, if you're seeing a mixing of product and activity based BBS, I can see how it must be stressful (though not how it is faster).
What I would note is that you can create a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) from an activity-based WBS by linking products to the bottom row of your WBS. This can work very well, and gives a deliverable catalog that reconciles to your activities. It's a method I have used.
Reallygreatvid.
Thank you.
Very crisp and concise descriptions, I am enjoying all the videos I saw so far. Thank you! I would like to add, in your "rant" if you and mention the PMI way of doing the WBS, that will be nice.
Thanks, Supriyo.
Thank you. I'm a seasoned PM and found your explanation one of the few that explains the difference between the UK way and the US. I personally prefer the US (deliverables) for a simple but powerful reason: the WBS is the WHAT. The Gantt or Kanban / Scrum board is the HOW (verb) and WHEN. Basically, you don't care how you will produce your end result yet, you just know you want it done. How? You will see later. As an example, if your project is a house, maybe you want a pool. Well, you'd have Pool as a WBS Component. Maybe you already know you will need to excavate, or maybe you'll just buy an external pool: the verb is now wrong. So, Pool works. In your Gantt, you'll decide if you "excavate hole" or make something else.
Also I find that focusing on WHAT without HOW frees the mind of the pressure of already having to think about too many things, especially in case of complex products / projects. And finally, I find it more pleasant to look at a WBS without verbs, it feels more succint.
Greg, thank you. You make a compelling case for a product-based WBS. And we do use these in the UK. We call them a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS). The more I think about this, the more I like starting with a breakdown of products, for the reasons you state - the focus on what your clients/sponsors/users want. My feeling, though, is that different domains and different project types will make one or other of these the more helpful approach. I do still like the simplicity of going directly from a task-based WBS to a Gantt or Network Chart, though. Each to their own!
@@jorgegarza3607 ?
Thankful for these further discussions.
Holy moly, I love Mike. What a human
Why, thank you!!!!
even at 1.25 speed this guy still talked too slow
Well, there's always 1.5x.
Not all my audience has good English. I choose to make my videos easy for people to understand and so accessible to the widest audience.
Great video Mike, thanks for all the work you do for the project management community, keep it up 👏😊
Thanks, will do!
Great video. Who approves/authorizes the WBS? The project manager?
Of course, the answer is 'it depends'.
But most commonly, yes, it is the PM. Because the WBS is a working document. However, the client or sponsor needs to approve the final statement of scope. And the WBS is the most thorough statement of scope. So, in that sense, you may use it to get authorization of scope from your sponsor/client.
thanks for this great video. we can also say that WBS provides framework of what has to be delivered
Very true! Especially where the WBS breaks down the components of the product. In the WBS as a breakdown of activities, we could say that WBS provides framework of what has to be done.
Wow I understood this..thank you soo much..for my exams😊🤗
That's great to hear - good luck!
Thanks
You're welcome.
Can you explain the orders on scheduling , sequencing estimating, network digram and duration, cost? Which one comes first
Hi Camera Lady - basically tasks - sequence logic - estimate durations (and cost) - network - schedule. But...
The video you need is: Project Planning Process - How to Build Effective Project Plans th-cam.com/video/9G_LwG8ozpo/w-d-xo.html
I do also recommend you watch: The Key Deliverable of Your Project Plan [Not what you expect] th-cam.com/video/BtpPJHTB060/w-d-xo.html
Great explanation! My lecturer favoured the UK format.
Thank you.
How does this relate to the project life cycle" or the project management procceses (or groups)?
The WBS is part of the planning stage of your project. It puts detail on your scoping, which is in the definition stage. May I recommend you watch these two videos in particular:
- Beginner's Guide to Project Management - Not for Idiots! th-cam.com/video/0zF06TOKKOE/w-d-xo.html
- Project Planning Process - How to Build Effective Project Plans - th-cam.com/video/9G_LwG8ozpo/w-d-xo.html
The first will give you a broad overview of PM and the PM process.
The second will fit WBS into the wider planning process.
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Great overview of WBS sir , very informative and nicely explained.
Thank you, Inderpal.
Excellent overview of a WBS. Thanks Mike
Cheers, Frank - particularly from a man who knows so much!
Should it not be neither is wrong? If neither is right, why would I use them at all?
My apologies, AK: you are correct.
I was using 'neither is right' as a standard British idiom that is short for 'neither is right: neither is wrong; they are both different'. I sometimes forget that my audience is global!
They are both equally right (although the UK version is slightly more right, in my opinion.
You are preaching to the choir Dr. Clayton. I've have been pushing the idea of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Product Breakdown Structure as separate deliverables in my organization for a while now with limited success. Continue to fight the good fight.
Well, it's not much of a fight. The terminology difference are real, but, if anything, I suspect that the US interpretation will win out globally, for obvious reasons.
@@Onlinepmcourses here in Australia depending on who you work for/with, most follow the UK's approach to WBS
@@dyn4mic87 I am slowly coming to the conclusion that there is the way to do WBS and the US way. But shhh. Don't tell the Americans.
I would be very interested to know what Canadians prefer.
This was very useful thank u
You're welcome.
pfft! American or Britain ...
Come to Germany and its the polar opposite. Here you label every major stream for projectmanagment and only leave on out for the project.
So you are completly sure all your ressources are on the paper work and no work gets done. If you plan a architectural project for example,
change the size of the bricks your using into DIN-A4 because stacks of documentation papers are 99% of the material you have at the end.
It's the only way ;)
I'm not sure you've identified a real difference. Experience PMs working within a Predictive (=traditional/waterfall) methodology also aim to document every activity and product. Indeed, I also recommend that PMs allow a specific workstream for Project Management, to ensure the resources and budget needed to manage the project are planned for and set aside.
WBS or Work Breakdown Structure versus Product Break Structure. In my experience in which you would most likely concur, I find the largest challenges are in the MEPs collision avoidance model. In the projects I have been involved in where I was brought in when the environment has become dysfunctional, I find the same issues are prevalent every time, the risk management part of the projects were not adequately taken into account, later add´s and changes affected the timeline and the this caused delays that got out of control. I learned the Norwegian method of project management is by far the best, where time is given within specific intervals for all stakeholders provides input on a timely manner. That is why I have become a larger believer in tools to maintain cohesive project management in real time such as Procore or other similar versatile project management tools that provide real time tracking and accountability.
Unfortunately, I don't know what you mean by the 'MEPs collision avoidance model'.
But I do agree that good tools are important.
so easy to understand, thank you
Great to hear - it's what I aim for!
What is the best software out there to help manage all this within a business? Like WBS, Gantt charts, Tasks, Goals and planning? Please advise!
Jeke, there are far too many software tools to keep up with them all. And every person's use case is different.
So, there is no best and I am unqualified to even recommend a shortlist.
There are many forums, like Facebook Groups, where you can detail your needs and ask for tips. But, unfortunately, there are no shortcuts. You need to draw up yur requirements list and do your own research.
I Would Like to Recommend you the best tools which i used being a Project Management Graduate ... Microsoft Project Professional its easy to work on but if u would like to go Advance then i would like to recommend you Primavera p6 thats the best..
Very informative and simply explained. Sir I thank you!
Thank you, Thomas (again!)
Systematic explanation for each topic.
It feels like my manager is taking Sunday classes for project management.. ♥
Thant's great, Ankush!
Excellent explanation for my straightforward but important work project! Would you have an example of a WBS template i could download, or one you would recommend. Thank you.
Thank you.
I am not sure whether you mean (a) a blank template to put your tasks into or (b) a standard set of tasks.
(a) Just use Word, Pages, Docs. Set up an indented list. There it is... your template.
(b) No such thing I'm afraid. By definition, every project is different. However, in some domains, projects are similar from one to another, so there are templates. But they tend to exist within organizations. You may find something online for the type of project you need. But I'm not aware of anything.
@@Onlinepmcourses Thank you kindly for your reply! I really appreciate it. I mean (a) a blank and straightforward template that i can put my tasks into. We have an exciting project where we are roadtesting a vendor's capabilities, if you will. About three of us will be testing whether this tool works for us in different languages etc, so i am going to first do my mind map (thanks to your expertise on that) and then, we'll go ahead and break it down like postid notes on a very simple and clear (and hopefully sensible!) work breakdown structure sort of template. I want ito present it really clear in a visual template as that will really help my team (and me). Your suggestion of Word helps a lot. I will start from there.
@@alwaysknow3356 You're welcome. Good luck!
Excellent description. thanks!
You're welcome!
Sooo good! Thank you so much
And sooo nice of you to say so! Thanks!
You are awesome, Sir!
Why thank you, sir!
Great video, thanks :)
Glad you liked it!
As usual, you are amazing.
Thank you.
Excellent and easy to understand. However, I would avoid using the word activities when numbering. these are deliverables and not activities.
Hi - check out the section from 4:20 th-cam.com/video/akO2Lf1fHmM/w-d-xo.html There, I talk about the difference between the UK approach (WBS breaks down 'work' ie tasks) and the US approach where WBS breaks to work products (ie deliverables). Although a deliverable-based WBS works well, I prefer the activity (work) based WBS and that's why I talk about activities.
Very interesting
Glad you think so, thank you!
thanks
You're welcome.
Glad to have helped: thank you.
this is what flat bread and milk would sound like, if they could talk
LoL - I have absolutely no idea what milk and flatbread sound like, but I choose to think they would sound authoritative, yet also beguilingly attractive. So, thank you very much! 😉
Excellent!
Thank you
Work in WBS is a noun. It breaks down scope into deliverables. ‘What’ NOT ‘how’. The activities are subsequently defined in a project schedule. There is no point defining activities in a WBS and in a project schedule. Defining the deliverables in a WBS decomposes the scope and is delivery independent. You can take the WBS and apply any delivery method I.e. waterfall, Agile, etc.
Fair enough.
You say Tomayto - I say Tomahto. Both are equally correct and I absolutely agree that WBS (in either form) is equally useful for predictive and adaptive PM.
Thank you.
@@Onlinepmcourses ? More like apples and oranges than tomatoes.
@@AlergicToSnow Don't get too caught up in the surface of things. Apples and Oranges are both fruits.
@@Onlinepmcourses I’ve been in IT for 35 years and a PM for over 25 years. I know what works and what doesn’t.
@@AlergicToSnow If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
“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 (PMI, 2013, p. 126). In other words, the WBS represents all of the deliverables to be produced by the project for which work activities will be defined, planned, and executed. The WBS provides a clear answer to the question: “What are we going to produce as a result of the project?” Answer: the WBS deliverables.” You’d better get this straight if you want to get your PMP from PMI.
Agreed re: PMI/PMBOK/PMP - but there's a big old world outside of the PMI's hegemony.
You say Potayto - I say Potahto.
what are naming conventions for each level of the package in the WBS?
There are differences in different places and within specific methodologies, but I'd suggest there are two key terms to know:
1. Work Stream - the highest level of subdivision within your WBS. The person responsible for a Workstream is the 'Workstream Leader' (usually)
2. Work Package - some people assert this is the lowest level. I think that is unhelpful, as the lowest level is a task (for the activity-based WBS) or product (for the product based WBS - or what I'd call a PBS). I use the term Work Package to describe any coherent subset of w WBS below the level of a workstream. It is a package of work you can allocate to one person or a team. It may need some liaison with other people or teams, but it is largely self-contained. The person responsible is (usually) the Work Package Manager. The document that sets out the specifications for a WP is a Work Package Description or WPD.
Thank you for the explanation of WBS!
My pleasure, Ian!
thanks for the wonderful tutorial
You're welcome 😊
Q: What is Work Breakdown Structure?
A: A tool that breaks the work down into a structure.
Thanks me later.
You got it!