BUS 528 - Chapter 6 Ideas

1. One of the most important techniques in project management is to breakdown a project into manageable components. The work breakdown structure (WBS, also known as task list) is the tools for breaking down a project into its component parts. If done well, if can become the secret to successful project management.

2. The work breakdown structure identifies all the tasks in a project. The WBS clarifies and provides necessary details for a number of project management activities. Building a WBS helps to:
a. Provide a detailed illustration of project scope
b. Monitor progress
c. Create accurate cost and time
d. Build project teams, Support collaboration

3. Understanding the WBS
The WBS breaks all the work in the project into separate tasks (tasks may also be referred to as activities). There are two kinds of tasks on a WBS: summary tasks and work packages. Each of the separate tasks is called a work package. By performing all these simple work packages, you accomplish a summary task.

4. Building a WBS:
a. Start from the top
b. List all task required to produce deliverables
c. Break down the task into smaller component
- the top task become summary task, be sure that summary tasks are meaningful
d. Organize the components
e. Estimate the resource to the work package
f. Estimate the time
g. Assign the work package to team/person

5. WBS: The Key to Success
• Has to start from the top – It is a top-down decomposition, need to make sure the work packages are subsets of summary tasks.
• Work packages must add up to the summary task - Component should add up to the overall goal
• Each component named as "activity that produce a product". This means giving each task a descriptive name that includes a strong verb – the activity – and a strong noun – the product.

• Right level of detail
- 8/80 rule: No task should be smaller than 8 labor hours or larger than 80.
- reporting period rule: No task should be longer than the distance between two status points. In other words, if you hold weekly status meeting, then no task should be longer than one week.


Breakdown the project into smaller components, do the tasks piece by piece - doing this way will make the project easier to accomplish.