A work breakdown structure defines all the things a project needs to accomplish, organized into multiple levels, and displayed graphically. One of the mistakes is trying to list every small task that has to. Wbs is a hierarchical and incremental decomposition of. Even subprojects can be broken down into smaller bits. A work breakdown structure wbs describes and orders the tasks or activities for a process or project plan. Work breakdown structure introduction to project planning. Wbs samples of construction of a building free pdf file. A wbs is a critical tool for organizing work, building realistic schedules and cost estimates.
Department of defense dod systems from the late 1950s and early 1960s organizations like nasa and the u. This document also includes a description of each of the tasks in the work breakdown structure wbs for sustainable residential apartment complex. Work breakdown structure for construction of a house. Wbs for construction work information because those systems work separately from the information. A key part of a good construction project plan is the work breakdown structure wbs. Thinking in detail is critical when planning your project, but you also need to consider the big picture.
Mar 25, 2016 a key part of a good construction project plan is the work breakdown structure wbs. It can be adopted and modified to suit your project scope and requirements. Project managers have long relied on work breakdown structures wbs to help them effectively and efficiently plan and implement projects. A creately work breakdown structure can be quickly shared with the rest of your team with a secure share link once shared, you can collaborate on it in realtime. Creately diagrams can be exported and added to word, ppt powerpoint, excel, visio or any other document. Wbs work breakdown structure is a deliverableoriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. I work in the public sector and cannot find an example of a wbs for a building construction project.
The product of the project is decomposed into a product breakdown structure pbs. Most project planners start building their construction schedule by establishing a work breakdown structure. Pdf building a project work breakdown structure dawei wu. It is applicable to all projects among all industries. Work break structure wbs the building blocks of a project start with a work breakdown structure wbs. Aug 26, 2011 the work breakdown structure is a fundamental part of defining project scope. Today, work breakdown structures are widely used for projects of all types, both business and personal. The pd is to structure the project work into wbs elements work packages. The building blocks of a schedule start with a work breakdown structure wbs.
A project budget can be allocated to the top levels of the work breakdown structure, and department budgets can be quickly calculated based on the each projects work breakdown structure. Framework for a generic work breakdown structure for. The project management body of knowledge defines the work breakdown structure as a deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team. It organizes and defines the total scope of the project. A work breakdown structure element may be a product, data, a service, or any combination. Framework for a generic work breakdown structure for building. The wbs is a hierarchical reflection of all the work in the project in terms of deliverables. Applying the 100% rule, the top level of a work breakdown structure is the totality of the project, and lower levels categorize greater detail in a topdown structure. Work breakdown structure relativistic heavy ion collider.
A work breakdown structure wbs provides a hierarchical or a breakdown structure that decomposes the project scope into more discrete and manageable work components 1. A work breakdown structure starts with the project as the top level deliverable and is further decomposed into subdeliverables using the. Work breakdown structure designing buildings wiki share your construction industry knowledge. Just like when constructing a tower or a bridge, its important to start with a solid foundation. A wbs is not a todo list consisting of everything that needs to be done on the project. Your work breakdown structure wbs should establish a solid foundation for your construction project schedule.
Construction project wbs examples to get you started plan. Oct 29, 2019 most project planners start building their construction schedule by establishing a work breakdown structure. Used to identify the project deliverables, the wbs starts at a high level and decomposes the project deliverables to. Project work breakdown structures can also be used to identify potential risks in a given project. In so doing, you gain clarity into the details needed to accomplish every aspect of your project. The two main types of project work breakdown structures wbs. Example of ultimate project deliverables in a construction project may include concrete structures, structural steels, building facade, and a.
First, take a moment to familiarize yourself with some background information about the construction company, which appears on the next page. Show work, select the work you want to open, then choose work and resource management as your action. Building the work breakdown structure wbs for additional support, please visit the epmo website. In order to produce these deliverables, work must be performed. Used to identify the project deliverables, the wbs starts at a high level and decomposes the project deliverables to a. The two main types of project work breakdown structures. A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the teams work into manageable sections. Nov, 2015 i work in the public sector and cannot find an example of a wbs for a building construction project. The work breakdown structure visually defines the scope into manageable chunks that a project team can. Construction project wbs examples to get you started youtube. Work breakdown structures a work breakdown structure is a deliverableoriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Development and implementation phases of an engineering project to build a solar. Work breakdown structure rev e, june 2003 work breakdown structure a project work breakdown structure wbs is a deliverable or product oriented grouping of project work elements shown in graph ical display to organize and subdivide the total work scope of a project. The project manager and project team use the wbs to develop the project schedule, resource requirements, and costs.
Wbs dictionary gives a little more detail than the wbs itself. A work breakdown structure wbs, in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. Aouad3 1 school of the built environment, heriot watt university, uk. Developing and elaborating effective work breakdown structures. One of the tools available to aid the project manager in effective project control is the work breakdown structure wbs. To do this, lets look at building a wbs for the construction of a single family home. A work breakdown structure, commonly abbreviated wbs, is a key project deliverable that is utilized to organize a project teams work and responsibilities into compact sections that are more manageable. Work breakdown structure for building construction project.
From the product breakdown structure, the work breakdown structure is developed. A work breakdown structure wbs is a deliverableoriented grouping of project. Work breakdown structure wbs examples for building. How to create a work breakdown structure a stepbystep. One project may include several phases, or also smaller subprojects. The course concludes with professor odeh discussing the importance of project planning and scheduling and an opportunity to develop a work breakdown structure.
Unfortunately, the business pressures driving projects have often prevented project managers from developing a comprehensive wbs. Construction project work breakdown structure template work. If you fail to identify a major part of your projects work, you wont have the chance to detail it. Work breakdown structure for construction project checkykey. Mar 15, 2018 a work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical structure of things that the project will make or outcomes that it will deliver this one is far better. Smart leaders understand the underlying wisdom of the wbs work breakdown structuresystem. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for the standardisation of the work breakdown structure wbs for building projects. Procurement projectyou can edit this template and create your own diagram. Todays work breakdown systems can be traced back to u. Read the blog post with more information on construction wbs and examples. What is a work breakdown structure wbs example included. They were first developed by the us defense department in 1957 as part of the development of the polaris missile programme and further developed by nasa in 1962. Typically we hire a prime consultant to prepare contract documents for us then go to pubilc tender to get the projects built.
Use of product breakdown structures and work breakdown. One work breakdown structure example that will make it clear. What is wbs work breakdown structure in project management. Budget details costs of each phase of the project, broken down by wbs areas. Applying work breakdown structure to project lifecycle.
Work breakdown structure wbs examples for building construction. Work breakdown structure information, software and wbs samples. A theoretical framework for facilitating the automatic development of wbs from a building model is then. Free work breakdown structure templates smartsheet. Creating a work breakdown structure wbs helps you be both comprehensive and specific when managing a project. A subsea field development project can be organized and comprehended in a visual manner by breaking the tasks into progressively smaller pieces until they are a collection of defined tasks, as shown in figure 69. Work breakdown structures are used mainly in project management and systems engineering. The work breakdown structure wbs has long served as a valuable tool in helping project managers plan deliverables and detail project scope.
Work breakdown structure templates work breakdown structure for construction construction work breakdown structure click on the template to edit it online. A work breakdown structure element may be a product, data, service, or any combination thereof. Using the work breakdown structure, you can break the project into. A work breakdown structure wbs in project management is a tool used to define and group a projects discrete work elements or tasks in a way that helps organize and define the total work scope of the project. Dejahang, bsc ceng, bsc hons construction mgmt, msc. This document contains a the wbs item number, b the wbs item name, and c a description of the wbs item. Nov 26, 2019 a work breakdown structure is your map through more complicated projects. Construction project wbs examples to get you started.
The development of work breakdown starts immediately after the projects scope is more or less finalized. This discusses the work breakdown structure dictionary clarifies the concept and analyzes a work breakdown structure example for construction. The work breakdown structure wbs is a graphic family tree that captures all of the work of a project in an organized way. Construction project work breakdown structure template. By allocating time and cost estimates to specific sections of. In short a work breakdown system provides a mirror for determining and examining all aspects of a project before digging in and finding your blind spots as you stumble into them. Building restaurant editable work breakdown structure. Sample wbs for electrical construction work the wbs work breakdown structure for electrical construction work for a petrochemical project is broken down as below.
If you fail to identify a major part of your projects work. It also specifies the deliverables the customer will get. Dec 25, 2017 project work breakdown structures can also be used to identify potential risks in a given project. A work breakdown structure is your map through more complicated projects. The work breakdown structure has a number of benefits in addition to defining and organizing the project work. Nov 05, 2019 hell take you through real construction wbs examples that can you use to get started.
The wbs was originally developed by the us department of defense, which mandated their use across the dod. The work and resource management tool opens in a new window. You can edit this work breakdown structure using creately diagramming tool and include in your reportpresentationwebsite. The wbs is a hierarchical reflection of all the work in the project in terms of. Weve compiled real construction project wbs examples you can use to build your own construction project work breakdown structure.
The work breakdown structure is used for project control and management purposes such as planning, scheduling, reporting, cost control, etc. As an example, consider a construction repair project. The costs of these tasks are clear and easy to estimate. Wbs examples for a software project, construction projects, a conference. Hell take you through real construction wbs examples that can you use to get started. The most complete project management glossary for professional project managers. Construction project managers often make mistakes when building the work breakdown structure. The wbs is a view into the project that illustrates the work the project encompasses. The wbs construction projects specifies the work assignment for every crew member, subcontractor, architect, and outside consulting engineer working on the project. A work breakdown structure wbs is a hierarchical structure of things that the project will make or outcomes that it will deliver this one is far better. A work breakdown structure wbs is a project management tool designed to capture project tasks in a visual, organized manner. The most common method for defining a wbs is the outlining method in which tasks are defined using a hierarchical structure and numbered using common outlining such as 1, 1. As the discipline has matured, project professionals have expanded and matured the wbs concept. Example of work breakdown structure for building a house.
But to confront the challenges of working in todays volatile economic environment, project managers are increasingly using. Technological advances, such as building information modeling, will be introduced with real world examples of the uses of bim during the lifecycle of the project. Work breakdown structure an overview sciencedirect topics. This is based on the premise that buildings in general retain basic elemental options, and that there is a commonality of activities in the procurement of building projects. A project budget can be allocated to the top levels of the work breakdown structure, and department budgets can be quickly calculated. Build a house from the project dropdown menu at the top menu. Construction phase work breakdown structure construction initiation addenda construction operations construction completion asbuilt plans bids advertisement communications. The work breakdown structure is a fundamental part of defining project scope. This paper examines the dimensions that are involved in developing a wbs that can help project teams successfully realize their project goals. Building house editable work breakdown structure template. Click here to build your own work breakdown structure. The process of breaking down the scope into a wbs should continue until the entire project scope is decomposed in adequate details matching the level of control that the project read more. Once the dod saw how well these work breakdown systems functioned, they applied them across the entire u. A project budget can be allocated to the top levels of the work breakdown structure, and department budgets can be quickly calculated based on each projects work breakdown structure.