A

PRESENTATION ON

Work Breakdown Structure

(WBS)
SUB: 308-GE - UL – 15-Project Management

PRESENTED BY: YASHWANT GHANGALE GUIDED BY: PROF (DR.) SUNIL P. UJAGARE
 I. INTRODUCTION
• WBS stands for Work Breakdown Structure, which is a project management tool
that breaks down a project into smaller, more manageable components.
• Each component represents a specific task, deliverable, or work package that
must be completed to achieve the project's objectives.
• A WBS helps project managers to organize and plan a project by identifying all
the tasks and sub-tasks involved in completing it.
• This process allows them to estimate the time, resources, and costs required for
each component, track progress, and assign responsibilities to team members.
• By breaking down a project into smaller components, a WBS also enables project
managers to identify potential risks and issues early on and develop contingency
plans.
 OBJECTIVES OF THIS PRESENTATIOON

• Explain what WBS is and its importance in project management

• Provide an understanding of the process of creating a WBS
• Discuss the different levels of the WBS and their importance
• Show how WBS can be used in project planning, cost estimation, and
progress tracking
• Provide tips and best practices for creating an effective WBS
• Emphasize the benefits of using WBS in project management
• Encourage the audience to implement WBS in their own projects for
better management and success.
II. DEFINITION OF WBS

• Definition: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a project management tool used to break down a
project into smaller, more manageable components.
 PURPOSE OF WBS
• Provide a framework for organizing and managing the project.

• Identify the scope of work.

• Estimate project costs and duration.

• Assign responsibilities.

• Track project progress.

 BENEFITS OF USING A WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE (WBS) IN
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
• Provides a structured approach to project planning

• Defines the scope of work and ensures that all necessary tasks are identified

• Helps to estimate project costs and duration more accurately

• Assigns responsibilities for each work package

• Provides a basis for tracking project progress and identifying potential issues

• Enables effective communication and collaboration among project team members

• Facilitates risk management by identifying potential risks at an early stage

• Enhances project control and decision-making

• Improves overall project efficiency and reduces the likelihood of project failure.
III. CREATING A WBS
 CREATING A WBS
• Define project scope.

• Identify project deliverables.

• Breakdown project deliverables.

• Define WBS hierarchy.

• Assign WBS codes.

• Review and refine the WBS.

 IMPORTANCE OF INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS IN THE WBS
CREATION PROCESS

• Ensure project alignment.

• Facilitate communication and collaboration

• Identify potential risks and issues:

• Improve project outcomes

• Enhance stakeholder engagement

IV. LEVELS OF THE WBS
IV. LEVELS OF THE WBS
• Top-level objective: The top-level objective is the overall goal or objective of the project. It is the highest
level of the WBS hierarchy and represents the main deliverable or outcome of the project. The top-level
objective is broken down into intermediate components.

• Intermediate components: The intermediate components represent the major deliverables or outcomes of
the project that support the top-level objective. These components are usually broken down into smaller,
more manageable components called work packages. Intermediate components can also be further broken
down into additional levels of the hierarchy if needed.

• Work packages: Work packages are the lowest level of the WBS hierarchy and represent the smallest
components of the project. These components are specific tasks or activities required to complete the
intermediate components. Each work package should have a clear definition, a specific owner, and a
measurable outcome. Work packages are usually the level at which project work is planned, scheduled, and
tracked.
V. USES OF WBS
V. USES OF WBS
• Project planning: WBS is an essential tool for project planning. It helps to break down complex projects into
smaller, more manageable tasks, which can be assigned to individual team members. This makes it easier to
plan and schedule the project, set deadlines, and allocate resources.
• Project management: WBS is a critical component of project management. It helps project managers to
monitor progress, identify potential issues and risks, and make necessary adjustments to ensure project
success.
• Resource allocation: WBS enables project managers to allocate resources effectively. By breaking down the
project into smaller components, it becomes easier to identify the resources needed for each task or activity.
This helps to ensure that resources are used efficiently and effectively.
• Cost estimation: WBS is used to estimate project costs. By breaking down the project into smaller
components, it becomes easier to estimate the costs associated with each task or activity. This helps to
ensure that project costs are managed effectively.
• Communication: WBS is an excellent communication tool. It enables project managers to communicate
project scope, objectives, and requirements to stakeholders, team members, and other project participants.
This helps to ensure that everyone is on the same page and has a clear understanding of the project.
• Risk management: WBS helps to identify potential risks and issues that could impact the project. By breaking
down the project into smaller components, it becomes easier to identify potential risks and develop
strategies for managing them effectively.
VI. BEST PRACTICES FOR WBS
VI. Best Practices for WBS
• Involve stakeholders: Involve key stakeholders in the creation of the WBS to ensure that all project
objectives and requirements are taken into account.
• Use a hierarchical structure: Organize the WBS in a hierarchical structure, with the top-level objective at the
highest level, intermediate components in the middle, and work packages at the lowest level.
• Define deliverables clearly: Clearly define the project deliverables at each level of the WBS hierarchy to
ensure that everyone understands the project scope.
• Break down deliverables into smaller components: Break down each project deliverable into smaller, more
manageable components to make it easier to plan, track, and manage the project.
• Use a consistent approach: Use a consistent approach when creating and using the WBS to ensure that all
team members understand how to use it effectively.
• Assign responsibilities: Assign clear responsibilities for each work package to ensure that everyone
understands their role in the project.
• Keep it up-to-date: Keep the WBS up-to-date throughout the project lifecycle to reflect changes in project
scope, requirements, and deliverables.
• Use software tools: Use software tools, such as project management software, to create and manage the
WBS, making it easier to collaborate, share, and update information.
IV. Conclusion

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is an essential tool for project management that helps to break down
complex projects into smaller, more manageable tasks. It enables project managers to plan, organize, and
manage the project effectively, allocate resources, estimate costs, monitor progress, and communicate
project scope and requirements to stakeholders and team members.
• The process of creating a WBS involves identifying project deliverables, breaking them down into smaller
components, and organizing them in a hierarchical structure, with the top-level objective at the highest level,
intermediate components in the middle, and work packages at the lowest level.
• Best practices for creating and using a WBS include involving stakeholders, defining deliverables clearly,
breaking down deliverables into smaller components, using a consistent approach, assigning responsibilities,
keeping it up-to-date, and using software tools.
• By using WBS effectively, project managers can ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget,
and to the satisfaction of stakeholders. WBS provides a clear and organized framework for managing
complex projects and is an essential tool for any project manager to have in their toolkit.