Work Breakdown Structure in 2024: How to Use a WBS in Project Management

A work breakdown structure (WBS) helps to break down each step of a project and considers all tasks to achieve the final results.

Why do project managers apply this tool to their projects? What are the pros and cons of a work breakdown structure? How to choose the right tool to build an effective WBS?

This post will help to find the answers.

WBS definition

What is a work breakdown structure?

A work breakdown structure is a project chart where the tasks reflect their relations to each other and the project in general in a hierarchical way. It has a graphical nature and helps to predict results based on different scenarios.

It is often visualized as a result-oriented tree that covers all project procedures. Project teams apply to break down their projects into easily manageable components. These components are further decomposed until a required team member can be assigned.

WBS elements

There are specific levels that must be applied in WBS. They make projects easier to manage.

A typical work breakdown structure consists of the following elements:

• A project vision statement.
• Project phases.
• Tasks with deliverables.

Depending on the company, the components may have different names.

WBS history

The concept of a WBS was developed together with the concept of the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT charts) by the US Department of Defense in 1957.

A WBS was created to be used in defense organizations, however, the term was introduced to non-defense sectors in 1987.

The importance of using a WBS in project management

A work breakdown structure benefits project teams in several ways:

• By breaking down a project into small components, you make it less overwhelming and more manageable.
• The structure provides a roadmap for all team members. Many projects involve several teams performing in tandem. They need to coordinate and integrate for work completion. The WBS helps them to focus on their tasks and deliverables and demonstrates how their efforts fit into the entire project.
• The structure also assists in measuring project completion, defining milestones, and allocating budget resources.

Who can use a work breakdown structure?

Project managers utilize WBS in commercial, residential, and construction projects. The structure provides investors and customers with a better understanding of everything that goes into the project development.

Here’s the list of the teams that may use a WBS:

WBS best practices: what you should remember

There are special rules you should consider while working on your work breakdown structure.

• The 100% rule is about including 100% of the work defined by the project scope, which is divided into the WBS levels. These levels contain project deliverables, control accounts, work packages, and tasks. It is applied to all WBS levels. Therefore the sum of the work at a lower WBS level must equal 100% of the work represented by the WBS level above without exception.
• Use nouns. Using nouns instead of verbs accelerates clarity.
• Be thorough. Working on WBS, you should understand that everything is important if it’s part of the course that leads to your final deliverable. Make sure you have a complete listing of every task to manage that course.
• Keep tasks mutually exclusive. There is no need to break out individual tasks for work that is already part of another task.
• Go deep enough. A WBS should be detailed. However, try to keep it not so deep that it becomes confusing.

The advantages of a WBS

A work breakdown structure provides evident benefits, including the following:

• Advanced communication. Collaboration on every step is one of the key advantages of a WBS. It doesn’t matter whether a project has an internal or external direction.
• Creativity. People who apply for a WBS have wide opportunities to develop their creative skills.
• Orientation on end-goals. A WBS work breakdown structure assists in keeping all team members focused on the end-goal. It decreases the chance that unnecessary work is performed because the scope has been clearly defined.
• Details organization. Nothing gets lost in the project because every detail is carefully accounted for.
• Scheduling issues. A WBS helps to identify which of the deliverables are falling behind your schedule.
• Task allocation. When you break down a project into manageable chunks, it becomes easier to assign these tasks to your team members.
• Problems prevention. Problems can occur even when a project is ready. A WBS helps to cut them by taking into consideration all the details of the tasks before execution.
• Brainstorming. The structure helps to find useful ideas and solutions. It’s easy to list all ideas and then scratch out the unnecessary ones.
• Managing risks. If you are working with a WBS, you can manage risks from the beginning. It anticipates all requirements and allocates resources: time, money, and labor.
• Flexibility for various teams. A WBS is used in different fields and spheres. It doesn’t matter how large the team is. The structure will always support project execution.

5 steps to create a WBS

How to create a work breakdown structure? Follow the five steps described below.

1. Describe a project statement

The sentence or paragraph will describe your project vision and functions in the final stage. This stage of a WBS is the basement of any project. The entire team usually develops it.

2. Outline all necessary stages

Now you need to fulfill all the necessary stages. Perhaps, you’ll have to divide the project scope into multiple steps. It often depends on the project requirements, time frames, and budget.

3. Create deliverables

Highlight all deliverables that must be completed within every stage. The stages must have end-results. You need to achieve them before moving on to the next stage.

4. Break deliverables into the smaller tasks

These tasks should be designed as sections. Any team member should be able to easily manage them.

5. Assign each section

The last stage of this hierarchy is the assignment of each manageable part. A required person (or a team) will be responsible for a specific task. They will be involved in each section of work that will lead to the corresponding results.

Now let’s move on to the real-life WBS examples.

Work breakdown structure examples

To better understand the concept of a work breakdown structure, we need to dive into some practical examples. Here we consider the examples of using a WBS in software development and construction spheres.

WBS software development example

Software development is one of the commonly used examples of work breakdown structure usage.

If you have a regular IT project related to software development, you need to follow the typical stages of the dev process.

A work breakdown structure WBS will divide your project into functionalities and further will break them down into smaller tasks that can be assigned to certain people.

Imagine, you are working on creating a new app. To build it, you’ll have to follow some consistent steps with specific tasks. Here’s how your WBS may look like:

WBS example for construction

You can use a WBS for any number of purposes, including managing complex construction projects.

This is the area where the structure performs perfectly. You don’t have to follow the formal guidelines of a PM work breakdown structure. Your purpose should be to compose natural categories for your construction project.

Let’s say, you have to build a backyard summer house. Your work breakdown structure example for construction may look like this:

Free and paid WBS templates

Generating a work breakdown structure is technically easy, but time-consuming. That is why you can apply different WBS templates to get started with ease.

There are various types of them: paid or free. You can select the right one that will give you flexibility and help to stay aligned.

WBS template in Excel

To use a work breakdown structure in Excel, you need to work with the SmartArt Graphics feature.

Just click the Insert tab, navigate to the Illustrations section, and pick up SmartArt Graphics. The Hierarchy section will help you to construct your WBS in Excel.

A MindMaster WBS template and a EdrawMind WBS template are also good options to get a friendly structure.

WBS on a Gantt chart

GanttPRO is a powerful Gantt chart tool that offers free Gantt chart templates that you may easily apply to break your work down.

Here’s a colorful GanttPRO template that represents a construction project:

Use GanttPRO to build a handy WBS

GanttPRO is intuitive, user-friendly, and easy to use. The main idea of generating a WBS here is that you get a chance not only to visualize what you are doing but also control when you are doing it.

With this online Gantt chart maker, you can convert your WBS to a Gantt diagram without extra effort. Using the tool, you can create as many projects as you need with an unlimited number of tasks.

By adding a custom WBS field from the list, you can order your task list to visualize the hierarchy you want.

Importing a WBS from Excel to GanttPRO

You can transfer your project created in Excel to GanttPRO and continue to work on your plans. Press Import (when creating a new project) and use a drag-and-drop feature or upload it from your computer.

Set the task number in your WBS so that GanttPRO can correctly define the position of the tasks on the project.

Conclusion

Now you know that a WBS work breakdown structure is the first step in creating a project schedule. This type of popular project management charts is like a skeleton of your future work plan.

A work breakdown structure informs teams of the progress made, boosting their efficiency and leading individuals to successful decisions. Convenient WBS templates will make your project management process a smooth one.

What do you think about a work breakdown structure? Feel free to share your experience.

And if you want to get more details about this PM tool, explore the full article What is a Work Breakdown Structure and How to Improve Project Management with a WBS? https://blog.ganttpro.com/en/how-to-create-a-work-breakdown-structure-wbs-with-project-planning-templates/.