Managing the project scope - Creating the Work Breakdown Structure

5 important questions on Managing the project scope - Creating the Work Breakdown Structure

What should one know about the WBS?

  • Major component of the project scope baseline
  • One of the most important project management tools
  • It is the foundation for planning, estimating and project control
  • Visualizes the entire project
  • If not in the WBS, it is not part of the project
  • Builds team consensus and project buy in
  • control mechanism to keep project on track
  • allows accurate cost and time estimates
  • serves as a deterrent to scope change

Why is a WBS template recommended?

Most projects in an organization are similar in their project life cycles and the approach can be adapted to fit a given project. The template includes common activities for all projects, a common lexicon and a standard approach to the required level of detail.

How does one decompose the project deliverables?

  1. Identify major deliverables
  2. Determine whether adequate cost and time estimates can be applied to the lowest level of the decomposed work
  3. Identify the deliverable constituent components
  4. Verify the decomposition
  5. Consider alternative approaches (by geographical or functional area)
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What other deliverable should be updated as a result of the creation of the WBS?

The scope statement. Either elements were not included in the scope or certain elements are found to be superfluous. The appropriate stakeholders must be notified of the change and must be given the justification for why the change is made.

Define - Project Scope Baseline

Comprises the project scope statement, the work breakdown structure and the WBS dictionary.

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