Z26 Project Management

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Graham Collins, UCL

graham.collins@ucl.ac.uk

Why Plan?

Control and optimize processes

Process forces thinking about tasks and dependencies
Scheduling of scarce resources
Plan allows divergence to be tracked
Properly thought through plan is a defence against unreasonable
requests
Breaking down a project into tasks allows effective delegation
Individual tasks allow people to focus
Plan becomes a communication tool
Without a plan, things will be forgotten, started late, or allocated to
several people.

based on Nokes et al, The Definitive Guide to Project Management

SMART Objectives

Specific
Measurable
Agreed upon
Realistic
Time (cost) limited

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) example

Lecture 4
1.Introduction

1.1 Revision
points

1.2 Your
answers

1.2.1
Workshops

2.WBS

3.Scope

1.3 Why plan?

1.2.1 Splitting
problem down

3.1
Explanation

3.2 Scope
Creep

3.2.1 Issue log

3.3 Case
Study

3.2.2 Scope
management

WBS concepts

Select a suitable category (work, product or other

relevant structure)
is not constrained by sequence
final box is a product or deliverable which is measurable
and definable
lowest level indicate work packages, which can be used
for estimates, schedule monitoring and control
Entire project team should be involved

Work Breakdown Structure

A hierarchical breakdown of the work

necessary to complete the project
Presented in an easy to navigate form
A Task Directory may be included here

Definitions

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The level at

which a piece of work within a project is broken down
for programming, cost planning, monitoring and
control purposes, to be performed by a specific
person.
Work Package A group of related tasks that are
defined at the same level within a work breakdown
structure.

Sources: BS6079 APMP Syllabus

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Exercise

You are a specialist consultancy that provides
business intelligence software. Your service
includes understanding your clients needs and
tailoring the software appropriately. A supermarket
has had a previous client attempt this, however the
software has been abandoned and the popularity of
the stores are slowly declining.
In groups:
1. Develop an appropriate WBS for a typical
project
2. Show clearly defined phases for this process
3. Transfer your finished WBS onto a transparency
for class discussion

Multi-tasking

10

10

10

20
20
20

Multi-tasking concept discussed in Critical Chain -Goldratt

Book Slot

Eliyahu M. Goldratt
Critical Chain
The North River Press
1997
ISBN: 0-88427-153-6

Scope creep

It would be foolish not to make things better

wouldnt it?

Change

Accepted

Rejected

Not in plan, plan

incompatible with
new objectives

Loss of opportunity

Cost/time overrun
compromised
technical quality

Potential loss of
income
Ineffective business
processes may be
retained

Scope Management Process

information that implies that the actual project is different from the planned project
should trigger the following process:

Is it a change in scope?
Description of change
Consequences of accepting or rejecting change
Discuss results
Programme board compare revised document with
business pay-offs
Change accepted, project relaunched. New
objectives and plan communicated to all relevant
stakeholders

Kotters Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change

1. Establishing a sense of urgency

2. Creating the guiding coalition
3. Developing a vision and strategy
4. Communicating the change vision
5. Empowering broad-based action
6. Generating short-term wins
7. Consolidating gains and producing more change
8. Anchoring new approaches in the culture.
John Kotter (1996) Leading Change, Harvard Business School Press ISBN
0-87584-747-1