CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved CSE7315M10 Slide 1 January 10, 2001 SMU CSE 7315 / NTU SE 584-N Planning and Managing a Software Project Module 10 Constructing the Work Breakdown Structure

CSE7315M10 Slide # 2 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Objectives of This Module To discuss the process of constructing a work breakdown structure To discuss other issues related to the work breakdown structure Text, chapter 6

CSE7315M10 Slide # 3 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Use of a WBS in Detailed Planning (high level view) 1) Construct (or refine) the WBS 2) Trace the WBS to the source documents 3) Perform (or update) cost and schedule estimates … continued

CSE7315M10 Slide # 4 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Use of a WBS in Detailed Planning (high level view) (continued) 4) Determine if WBS is consistent with size, cost and schedule estimates 5) Identify Risks 6) Repeat as necessary – To correct discrepancies – To refine during re-planning

CSE7315M10 Slide # 5 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Steps for Constructing a WBS 1. The software hunt - identify SW tasks 2. Place software within the project WBS 3. Determine the architecture of the software portion(s) of the WBS 4. Populate the chosen WBS structure with tasks from source documents 5. Develop WBS to source documents trace matrix 6. Determine the cost category for each activity

CSE7315M10 Slide # 6 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved 1. The Software Hunt Go through the source documents and make a complete list of all items that impact the cost of doing the software DocumentParagraph Description SOW1.3.4 Design Software for Compiler SOW2.3.3 Travel for Design Reviews... Contract a Follow ISO Standard 5432f Rqmts. Doc.3.4 Use data compression... CustomerMeeting on 3/5/05 Code all software in Java +++

CSE7315M10 Slide # 7 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Source Documents Don’t forget that there are many possible source documents SOW (usually the best item to start with) Specifications Concept of operation documents Requirements documents of many kinds Design documents Standards (internal and external) Customer conversations Test criteria or expectations

CSE7315M10 Slide # 8 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved 2. Place Software Within the Project WBS Many organizations have a standard WBS architecture for projects If not, then determine what project requirements may be applicable – For example, your project manager may have a specific approach -- number of levels, where to show certain kinds of costs, etc. Know the risks of your approach

CSE7315M10 Slide # 9 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Sample Project WBS with Software Embedded in Hardware Radar Sig. Proc.AntennaPower S.Cabinet Computer Software Analog This approach can result in a large number of software elements in the WBS. A spreadsheet or data base may be handy for tracking them all.

CSE7315M10 Slide # 10 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Sample Project WBS with Software Independent of Hardware This approach may tend to isolate software planning from the rest of the system, resulting in inconsistent interpretations of requirements, etc. System Software ElectricalMechanicalManagement Editoretc.Compiler

CSE7315M10 Slide # 11 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved 3. Determine the Architecture of the Software WBS Many organizations have standard software WBS architectures to help keep track of costs consistently across the organization Different software items may need different WBS structures See a later slide for some of the advantages of a standard WBS architecture

CSE7315M10 Slide # 12 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Some Sample Software WBSs Software Word Proc. Data base Spread sheet User I/f Editor For- matter RqmtsDesignCodeTest Software Word Proc. Data base Spread sheet User I/f Editor For- matter RqmtsDesignCodeTest

CSE7315M10 Slide # 13 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Sample WBS Architectures All Software Products Components Process Steps All Software Process Steps Products Components All Software Organizations Products... All Software Products Organizations...

CSE7315M10 Slide # 14 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved 4. Populate the WBS Assign each activity identified in step 1 to an appropriate place in the work breakdown structure SOW 1.1.1Develop C Compiler 1.0 Software for “C” Compiler SPEC 2.0Develop Compiler 1.1 Build a “C” Compiler SPEC 2.1User I/F for PC Build a User Interface PROC STD 3.4Requirements Analysis RA for User I/F PROC STD 3.5 Design Design for User I/F SPEC 2.2File System Build a File System SPEC 3.0Test IAW Company Stds 1.2Build the Test Suite SOW 2.3.4Provide User Guide 1.3 Write Documentation

CSE7315M10 Slide # 15 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved DocumentParag WBS#Description SOW Design Software for Compiler SOW Travel for Design Reviews Requirements Specifications Perform Quality Audit 5. Construct a Trace Matrix from the WBS to the Source Documents Add a WBS activity number column to the list constructed in step 1.

CSE7315M10 Slide # 16 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Additional (Optional) Information in WBS Trace Who is responsible for estimating cost Who is responsible for development What paragraph of the software development plan addresses this task What standards are to be applied in performing this task What is the final cost estimate for this WBS item – Filled in after estimating cost

CSE7315M10 Slide # 17 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Using the WBS Trace Matrix 1) Sort by source document & paragraph and make sure each task is covered in the WBS 2) Sort by WBS number and make sure each corresponds to a legitimate activity that must be performed 3) Sort by WBS and requirements document to identify all the requirements that must be met by each activity (helps in cost estimating)

CSE7315M10 Slide # 18 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Use of the Trace Matrix During Project Execution When requirements are changed, you can determine which activities are potentially affected When activities encounter problems, you can determine which requirements or contract stipulations may need to be renegotiated

CSE7315M10 Slide # 19 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved DocParag WBS#Description SOW Design Software for Compiler SOW Design Software for Editor SOW Use Booch Design Method SOW Travel for Design Reviews Suppose SOW says "design software" and SOW says "use Booch design method" Redundancy OK in the Trace Matrix

CSE7315M10 Slide # 20 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Document Parag WBS# DescriptionCategory SOW Design Software for Compiler S SOW Travel for Design Reviews C... Continued Determine Cost Categories Determine the cost category for each activity in the WBS (step 4). Document in the trace matrix (step 5)

CSE7315M10 Slide # 21 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Typical Cost Categories

CSE7315M10 Slide # 22 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Notes See assignment 2 for more information about the format of a typical work breakdown structure If the cost category step is not done here, it needs to be done later, during the cost estimating process

CSE7315M10 Slide # 23 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Notes (continued) There will be some items from step 1 that are scattered throughout many WBS elements (example: use a particular standard or programming language) – Costs directly caused by using that standard or language can be isolated to a separate WBS element – For example, the costs of purchasing a compiler or carrying out a mandated review or producing a document that would not otherwise be needed

CSE7315M10 Slide # 24 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Notes (continued) There may be some items from step 1 that do not seem to fit the standard WBS architecture – Examples: warranty costs, special testing,... – You usually just add another activity somewhere in the WBS – You may need to be creative

CSE7315M10 Slide # 25 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Notes (continued) Some items in the organization’s standard WBS may not be explicitly stated in source documents – Examples: training, management, facilities, development tools For these you determine whether they are needed and, if so, get agreement with your customer or system engineer and refer to the relevant company policies or standards in your trace

CSE7315M10 Slide # 26 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Notes (continued) The standard WBS acts as a reminder not to forget things like these. – You can use the standard WBS like a checklist – You don’t want to overlook anything that will cost you money or time or effort – Often, many activities are assumed without explicit mention in source documents

CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved CSE7315M10 Slide 27 January 10, 2001 WBS Issues Practical Issues that Often Come Up when Developing a WBS

CSE7315M10 Slide # 28 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved (WBS Issues) Customer Imposed Format Issue : Customer requires that the design document should be written in a specific format that your process does not require – It will cost you extra money and time to do this – You will need to learn how to use the customer’s desired format

CSE7315M10 Slide # 29 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Resolution Option A: Include the incremental cost of producing this format as a separate WBS item – This shows the customer what it costs – Be prepared to reduce the cost accordingly if the customer says “OK, use your own format.” Option B: Add the cost into the basic cost of software development – Will make your productivity rate slightly lower

CSE7315M10 Slide # 30 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved (WBS Issues) Representing the Cost of Support Tasks Issue (example): Configuration management (CM) is a significant overall cost, but a minor increment to individual component cost estimates – How do you represent it in the WBS?

CSE7315M10 Slide # 31 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Resolution of Support Cost Issue Option A: Include a CM task for each software component or product – Tends to create a lot of small work packages Option B: Include all CM cost as a separate item at a higher WBS level. – Tends to obscure the details of what it costs, and makes the total look large and consequently invites arbitrary cuts in CM cost

CSE7315M10 Slide # 32 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved (WBS Issues) Organizational Standard Not Being Followed Issue: Customer or program manager requires a WBS format or architecture that does not conform with organizational standard – You may be called on the carpet for violating that standard – If you don’t use the standard, you may lose some of the benefits, such as support, assistance, or data for comparison with similar programs in the past

CSE7315M10 Slide # 33 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Resolution Option A: Use a spreadsheet or data base program to sort the WBS into either format Option B: Negotiate to see if they will accept the standard format Option C: Retain documentation of “non-standard” requirement and trace your format to the standard format

CSE7315M10 Slide # 34 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Risks in Preparing a WBS

CSE7315M10 Slide # 35 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Risks - I Too Much Detail Increases overhead of monitoring and estimation Customers or managers might insist on tracking based on the WBS You may have two WBSs to get around this: a “formal” WBS at the high level and a “working” WBS at the detail level

CSE7315M10 Slide # 36 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Risks - II Work Packages are Vague Look for concrete starting & ending events with specific evaluation criteria A work package should be discrete, trackable, & measurable

CSE7315M10 Slide # 37 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Risks - III Excluding Certain Tasks Make sure everything is covered – It is easy to assume someone else covered it If you don’t know, ask Exclusion implies 0 cost, which is rarely true if you must do the task

CSE7315M10 Slide # 38 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Risks -IV Duplication of Activities It is easy to have the same work show up in more than one place, especially on a large project Managers must “scrub” the WBS

CSE7315M10 Slide # 39 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Risk Mitigation Approaches WBS inspection or walkthrough – Look for completeness, consistency, well defined activities, etc. – Let others see the WBS (you tend to have tunnel vision and may miss something) Trace to source documents (and, later, to cost estimate) Remember that the WBS is part of the plan – Include WBS revisions in replanning activities

CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved CSE7315M10 Slide 40 January 10, 2001 Goals and Observations

CSE7315M10 Slide # 41 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Goals of a Good WBS (1) 1) Specify the ingredients of the project clearly and concisely 2) Identify the responsibilities of each task and its place within the whole 3) Identify project performance targets at every level (1) Maciariello, Joseph A., “Making program management work,” Tutorial on Software Management, IEEE Computer Society Press, 1986, p. 93.

CSE7315M10 Slide # 42 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Goals of a Good WBS (continued) 4) Support the comparison of actual performance with target values 5) Motivate people to meet targets 6) [Others that you might include] Part of an organizational standard WBS should be a set of agreed-upon goals for the WBS, so that all WBS efforts are geared toward those goals.

CSE7315M10 Slide # 43 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Observations on the WBS Different parts of the WBS could have different levels of detail Later updates of the WBS could provide more detail than what is developed initially

CSE7315M10 Slide # 44 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Observations on the WBS (continued) Avoid making too many very small work packages – If several of them have nearly identical descriptions, see if you can combine them. – Each level in the WBS multiplies by 5-10 the amount of detail that must be estimated, tracked, etc.) Trace the WBS to the requirements

CSE7315M10 Slide # 45 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved Module Summary We showed a six-step method for constructing a WBS In practice, there are many issues that call for judgment in creating an effective WBS There are many risks and issues associated with developing a WBS

CSE7315M10 Slide # 46 January 10, 2001 CSE SW Project Management / Module 10 - WBS Construction Copyright © , Dennis J. Frailey, All Rights Reserved END OF MODULE 10