Projmgmt-1/17 DePaul University Project Management I - Work Breakdown Structure Instructor: David A. Lash

Projmgmt-2/17 PM Should Be Defined Process u Charter – Purpose – review and publish u SOW – A. Document goals, scope deliverables HL budget estimate – Review with Project board u Communication Plan – Document communication methods of various level – Review with project board, various stakeholders u Risk Strategy - A plan for managing risk & uncertainty u WBS - A tool for breaking down project into its component parts. u Project Plan u Execute HL Plan LL Plan

Projmgmt-3/17

Projmgmt-4/17 What Is A WBS? u A tool for breaking down a project into its component parts. – Identifies all tasks in a project – Can be specified as chart form (figure 6.2) or outline form (figure 6.3) u It helps to: – Provide a detailed illustration of project scope - (doing WBS really helps understand scope of project) – Can help measure progress since, defines tasks in measurable units of work (defines work packages for workers.) – provides basis for team role definition – provides basis for cost estimates that includes equipment, labor, materials listed for each task

Projmgmt-5/17 What Is A WBS? u Summary Tasks - includes several subordinate tasks. u Work Package - each separate tasks. Summary Tasks Work Packages

Projmgmt-6/17 3 Steps to WBS Development 1. Begin at The Top 2. Name all tasks needed to produce deliverables 3. Organizing the WBS (there are multiple ways to organize WBS.)

Projmgmt-7/17 Step 1 - Begin at The Top u List the major deliverables or high-level tasks from the scope u might also include intermediate deliverables (if major and not an end-product) Landscape Project DesignLawnFence GrassShrubs

Projmgmt-8/17 Step 2. Name all tasks needed to produce deliverables u For example put in grass might include – buy dirt & seed – spread dirt – spread seed – water for 2 weeks u Don’t worry about order of activities yet. u May need people closer to project tasks to help. u Can be difficult in new situations – for example, if never before executed a process or new technology use – May need to call team together to develop strategies for WBS development (high level)

Projmgmt-9/17 Step 3 - Organizing the WBS There are multiple ways to organize WBS. (See example 6.5) Some things to consider – organize in a way closer to – development process – organize in a way easier to manage – organize in way meaningful to sponsors.

Projmgmt-10/17 Some criteria for successful WBS 1. WBS broken down starting from top – Top down decomposition w/ each task lower a subset of above – Can use standard project management software – Make sure summary levels are meaningful

Projmgmt-11/17 Some criteria for successful WBS 2. Work packages must add up to summary tasks – subordinate tasks should add up to summary task – Take care not to omit needed tasks 3. Each summary task must be named as an activity that produces a product – That is, no open ended task - u e.g., perform research - could go on for ever. u Better to name the products of the research (e.g., research new smelting technique to develop harder swords.) – No leaky or open ended tasks u bad: database - what does it mean? u Better: test the DB - Much clearer u For example 6.4 shows major deliverables of design, lawn and fence

Projmgmt-12/17 More Criteria For Successful WBS 4. Provide an initial task description and exit criteria - When possible providing detail is very useful. It helps clarify task and gives a more uniform basis for review. - For example, Dig Trenches - dig approximately 45 trenches for fence about 20x12 inches deep. Implement Feature X - write and unit test feature X based on design. Review test results. 5. Formally Review WBS - Review the WBS with team members.

Projmgmt-13/17 Sizing Work Packages Correctly u Keep work packages between 1-10 days long. – Too long and becomes its own project – Too small may be part of another task u Keep work packages short enough so not to span status meetings u If break a task down into sub-tasks usually 1 of 3 reasons to do so: – It is easier to estimate (perhaps less uncertainty) – Is is easier to assign - (Keep single people or areas accountable) – It is easier to track u If not one of these 3 reasons, consider not further breaking down task.

Projmgmt-14/17 Other Sizing Guidelines u 8/80 Rule - No task should be smaller than 8 hours of labor or greater than 80 as a guideline. u Reporting Period Rule - Try to keep tasks shorter than the regular status meetings. (For example if weekly meetings, about 1 week long) – This can be difficult to achieve but if done so would be useful.  If its “useful” rule - breaking down tasks should make the management of project easier to estimate, assign or track.

Projmgmt-15/17 More on Work Package Sizing u Keeping units small can help control the project. u Consider examples in book – Waste treatment plant had project budge > 500 Million u contractors required to report work packages no larger than 2 weeks or 50K  This made identification of problems and cost overruns quicker to find – Microsoft has huge projects but require developers to analyze details in 1/2 day to 3 day chunks u people personally commit to their schedules u Can help to greatly increase estimations

Projmgmt-16/17 Building In Quality u Building quality into project can have a huge effect on its success – The later you find a problem the most expensive it is to fix. u Consider automobile manufacturing – Finding error in requirements VS development VS when the car is in the field u Need to ensure proper standards are set to judge the quality of the work.

Projmgmt-17/17 WBS Summary u WBS – breaks projects into parts – WBS Provides the structure for the project u Discussed 3 steps to develop WBS – Begin at top – Name all the tasks needed to produce deliverables – Organizing the WBS u Discussed work package size