Hi,
According to PMI (PMBOK 4th edition), WBS or Work Breakdown Structure is: “deliverable oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables, which each descending level of the WBS representing an increasingly detailed definition of the project work”. In addition: “the WBS organizes and defines the total scope of the project, and represents the work specified in the current approved project scope statement!”
Here is an example of the WBS:
Be aware of this: WBS DOES NOT SHOW DEPENDENCIES. What does it mean? It means, that you can read from WBS what muse be done, but you can not read, how long will your Project lasts! For that you must have activity diagram. WBS I logical Hierarchy!
From example, in my previous picture the schedule is not like:
- Schedule Flights to Mpls
- Rent Van
- Arrange Motel
- Schedule Return flights
- Contract BW outfitter
- etc
How will you measure your schedule progress. With SCOPE BASELINE! SCOPE BASELINE = Project Scope statement + WBS + WBS Dictionary.
What is WBS DICTIONARY? Let suppose that you have a Deliverable called: “Return flights Scheduled”. What do you have to do for this. For example, first you should go to the internet and find your flights, and see if they fits your expectations (departure date, etc). Next you should see if there is enough tickets to your trip (what if there is only one ticket available? This is WBS Dictionary, and it is brief explanation of what should be done to achieve deliverable.
Hierarchy of WBS can be simple or complex, and it depends of your Project. The last in each branch is WORK PACKAGE or Deliverable! Now, what is deliverable! It is something you deliver 
. It has to be measurable. If it is not measurable, how can you achieve approve from your Customer, or Client! What is deliverable from Rent Van Work package. Well, the contract between you and Rent a Van company, and keys of the Van in your hand!
WBS is foundation of a good schedule! If you want learn how to build excellent schedule I strongly recommend book from Eric Uyttewaal: FORECAST SCHEDULING WITH MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010. You can find it here: http://www.projectprocorp.com/products.php. Buy it, you wouldn’t regret it!
How to make a good WBS in MICROSOFT PROJECT 2010? Here is an example! Please do not look is it make a sense to have those Tasks in this order. It is for example purpose! So it can be silly, but don’t bother with it.
You can see that I have two branches in my WBS: The Requirements document, and Make a good Plan. But the Task Divide requirements to the tasks has predecessor from task 8, and task 11 as well. And Find a resources you will need for the Project is started as soon as Write an initial requirement document is finished!
But where is WBS Dictionary? You can double-click on the task and put the WBS dictionary in Notes:
WBS has to be structured. So every Task and Summary Task must have unique number, according to WBS. I will add WBS code to my Gantt Chart:
I will choose WBS:
and I will get:
But what if you want to have a WBS (or WBS CODE) instead of 1.1 –> ERP-1/A
and I will get:
and finally:
You can get your WBS in Visio 2010 very easy.
Read my next Post!
Regards,
Nenad Trajkovski 
How to enter WBS codes or numbers manually/
Just type in WBS field
How to generate WBS by using Visio..Plzz help me
How to get WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) from MS PROJECT 2010 to MS VISIO 2010
please help me I am working on offshore projects where we work on 12hrs shift I am not able to create a calendar for a day shift and night shift
WHat do you realy need? Every Resource is working on different shift (for example, John-Day Shift, Mary – Night Shift, etc)
Is that what you need?
Regards,
Nenad
Hello;
I have a question about “work package”. Is work package the same as “activity” or “activity” is more detailed than a work package?
Thank you
I’m going to write a Post about that at December 27th 2013!
Excellent weblog here! Also your site rather a lot up fast!
What host are you using? Can I get your associate link in your host?
I want my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
How the WBS and the sub task created under a master task is different? (I see I can only give some unique number to the WBS task)
I do not understand what do you ask? Pleas explain!
its great and helpful thanks..
Thanks. Very good help.
Hi Nendad.
First thank you for your help on my previous post on resources. this was what I needed.
Now a question on WBS codes.
This is what I have:
I have some unrelated projects, each of them are a seperate mpp file. All these projects have to be done in 2012, so I would like to give an overview of the complete project status for 2012.
I do this by making a new mpp file and insert all of the projects as sub projects.
Now the strange things happen. when I look at the WBS codes then I see duplicates which do not reflect the ‘indent’ level on the task name field.
Also if I make a visual report in visio (Task status report) then it looks as if one project is being handled as a ‘child’ of another one on the same level. I would like to see a report with the ‘Total’ on top and from there branches to the sub projects summary task name, from every sub project again branches to the different taks in the project and so on.