When we talk about project management, most people imagine a hierarchical work breakdown structure (WBS)—a complete and consistent review of the tasks of the project, simply and clearly explained. Sometimes, WBS says that this is just a list of tasks considering that the main purpose of the WBS structure is to convert a large and complicated monster called the project into small, manageable units called work (project) tasks. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) defines WBS as a grouping of project elements that organize and define the total work scope of the project.
Thus, it is clear that WBS is a key project element consisting of high-level user stories and descriptions, primarily geared toward management use.
The following are the basic tasks for creating a WBS structure:
- Achieving transparent measurement of specific work activities in order to meet the objective of the project: Although the scope of the work on a conceptual level can be defined by effort, only the WBS structure shows the exact effort needed to conduct the project.
- Determining the required resources to perform the activities and determine the level of their knowledge and skills: Using the WBS structure, employees receive precise instructions as they work through the project, enabling them to see where and how their work fits into the whole project.
- Providing a basis for assessing cost and resources and the time to be engaged in the realization of the project: Some WBS tasks must contain elements of resources, time, and effect for that task—which is the basis for the assessment of the project and the amount of resources that need to be engaged to complete the project.
- Identifying the basis for measuring the effectiveness and actual progress of the project, depending on what the project will deliver and when the project will deliver it: As each task in the WBS structure is simply measured (in terms of how long it takes to do it and whether it was carried out), it is easy to track the progress of the project.
- Providing a basis for creating an effective change management in the project: Change management addresses all changes that can occur during the project duration and how they are implemented in the project plan. Also, it establishes formal processes that document each decision and the reasoning behind it.
An overly detailed specification of tasks is probably not effective in terms of time and resources, and sometimes it really is not possible to achieve (imagine that part of the project depends on the results of product-testing in a laboratory). However, try to explain each task well.