Understand and apply new concepts regarding Work Breakdown Structures The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) has emerged as a foundational concept and tool in Project Management. It is an enabler that ensures clear definition and communication of project scope while performing a critical role as a monitoring and controlling tool. Created by the three experts who led the development of PMI®'s Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures, Second Edition, this much-needed text expands on what the standard covers and describes how to go about successfully implementing the WBS within the project life cycle, from initiation and planning through project closeout.
Filling the gap in the literature on the WBS, Work Breakdown Structures: The Foundation for Project Management Excellence gives the reader an understanding of:
- The background and key concepts of the WBS
- WBS core characteristics, decomposition, representations, and tools
- Project initiation and the WBS, including contracts, agreements, and Statements of Work (SOW)
- Deliverable-based and activity-based management
- Using the WBS as a basis for procurement and financial planning
- Quality, risk, resource, and communication planning with the WBS
- The WBS in the executing, monitoring, and controlling phases
- New concepts regarding the representation of project and program scope
- Verifying project closeout with the WBS
Using a real-life project as an example throughout the book, the authors show how the WBS first serves to document and collect information during the initiating and planning phases of a project. Then, during the executing phase, the authors demonstrate how the WBS transitions to an active role of project decision-support, serving as a reference and a source for control and measurement.
(PMI is a registered mark of Project Management Institute, Inc.)
Table of Contents:
Contents
Preface vii
Foreword xv
Part I Introduction To WBS Concepts 1
1 Background and Key Concepts 3
Chapter Overview 3
Work Breakdown Structures 4
Defining Work Breakdown Structures 5
Importance of the WBS 7
WBS Lesson Learned: A Brief Illustration 8
WBS Concepts 12
Describing the WBS 12
The House Metaphor–A Consistent Example 14
Chapter Summary 15
2 Applying WBS Attributes and Concepts 19
Chapter Overview 19
WBS Attributes 19
WBS Core Characteristics 20
WBS Use-Related Characteristics 25
WBS Decomposition 28
WBS in Projects, Programs, Portfolios, and the Enterprise 30
WBS Representations 32
WBS Tools 36
Chapter Summary 38
Part II WBS Application In Projects 41
3 Project Initiation and the WBS 43
Chapter Overview 43
Project Charter 44
Preliminary Project Scope Statement 46
Contracts, Agreements, Statements of Work (SOW) 49
Chapter Summary 50
4 Defining Scope through the WBS 53
Chapter Overview 53
Product Scope Description 53
Project Scope Statement (Scope Definition) 54
Work Breakdown Structure 55
Beginning with the Elaborated WBS 60
Use-Related Characteristics 62
WBS Dictionary 65
Deliverable-Based Management 67
Activity-Based Management 67
Scope Baseline 68
Acceptance Criteria 68
Chapter Summary 70
5 The WBS in Procurement and Financial Planning 75
Chapter Overview 75
Build versus Buy Decisions 75
Cost Estimating 77
Cost Budgeting 79
Cost Breakdown Structure 80
Chapter Summary 81
6 Quality, Risk, Resource and Communication Planning with the WBS 85
Chapter Overview 85
Approaching Quality, Resource and Risk Planning 87
Using Existing Templates and Processes 89
Creating Processes to Support the Project 92
Utilizing the WBS as a Basis for Process Development 92
Employing the WBS and WBS Dictionary 94
The Whole is not Greater than the Sum of its Parts— it Developing the Communications Plan 101
The Communications Matrix 102
The Hierarchy of Information 103
The Meeting Matrix 107
Chapter Summary 109
7 The WBS as a Starting Point for Schedule
Development 111
Chapter Overview 111
Demystifying the Transition from the WBS to the Project Schedule 113
Putting These Concepts to Work 117
The WBS in Hierarchical Outline Form 118
Identifying Dependencies between Scope Elements 119
Representing Scope Sequence and Dependency 119
Creating a High-Level Scope Sequence Representation 120
The Concept of Inclusion 121
The Scope Relationship Diagram 125
Creating a Scope Dependency Plan 129
Chapter Summary 132
8 The WBS in Action 137
Chapter Overview 137
Acquiring the Project Team 138
Directing and Managing Project Execution and Integrated Change Management 140
Performing Scope Management 141
Scope Management and the Triple Constraint 142
Reviewing the Relationship with Other Project Management Processes 143
Performing Quality Assurance 144
Performing Scope Verification 144
Chapter Summary 145
9 Ensuring Success through the WBS 147
Chapter Overview 147
Project Performance Management 148
Scope 149
Schedule 149
Cost 150
Planned versus Actual 151
Stakeholder Management 152
Chapter Summary 153
10 Verifying Project Closeout with the WBS 155
Chapter Overview 155
Project Closeout 155
Acceptance / Turnover / Support / Maintenance 156
Contract Closure 156
Project Closeout 157
Chapter Summary 157
Part III WBS For Project Management Decomposition 159
11 A Project Management WBS 161
Chapter Overview 161
Organization Options for a Project Management WBS 162
Project Management WBS Components Aligned with the PMBOK Guide—Third Edition 165
Project Management WBS Lite 168
Chapter Summary 170
A Final Word 170
Appendix A Project Charter Example 173
Appendix B Project Scope Statement Example 179
Appendix C Project Management WBS Examples 187
Appendix D Answers to Chapter Questions 253
Index 275
About the Author :
Eric S. Norman, PMP, PgMP, is a strategic project and program management consultant. Shelly A. Brotherton, PMP, is a senior project and program management leader. Robert T. Fried, PMP, is a director responsible for project and program management with a globally recognized enterprise management software company.
Review :
"This book is written for everyone responsible for project management or product development work. The topic of the book is a critically useful and important technique for describing and understanding any new product or project development. I applaud the efforts of the authors in showing not just the relevance of a WBS (Work Breakdown Structures) and WBS dictionary to planning a project but also to its execution. A significant contribution of this book is the prominent highlighting the scope of the project management function itself as one of the deliverables in the WBS." (Journal of Product Innovation Management, 2010; 778-783)
