By Nader Khorrami Rad, PMP ver 1.0

1. The A to Z of the Work Breakdown Structures By Nader Khorrami Rad, PMP ver 1.0

2. Part 1Introduction

3. 1.1.How We Manage Things

4. 1.2.Grouping the Project Work

5. 1.3.Why Should We Base the WBS on Products?

6. Grouping / organizing project work based on its products or results is called:Work Breakdown Structure(WBS)

7. The elements of the final product or result of a project, which is the output of the activities is called:DeliverableAll deliverables together = final product

8. The sixth core principle of the PRINCE2:Focus on ProductsA successful project is output-oriented not activity-oriented.

9. The most important aspect of focusing on products:Work is subject to strategies and usually change, but deliverables do not change as often.

10. Alternative 2: - Placing reinforcing bars - Place reinforcing bars in zone 1 - Place reinforcing bars in zone 2 - Preparing formworks - Prepare formworks in zone 1 - Prepare formworks in zone 2 - Pouring concrete - Pour concrete in zone 1 - Pour concrete in zone 2 Alternative 1: - Zone 1- Place reinforcing bars in zone 1- Prepare formworks in zone 1 - Pour concrete in zone 1 - Zone 2 - Place reinforcing bars in zone 2 - Prepare formworks in zone 2 - Pour concrete in zone 2 Which one is better?

11. Alternative 2: - Placing reinforcing bars - Place reinforcing bars in zone 1 - Place reinforcing bars in zone 2 - Preparing formworks - Prepare formworks in zone 1 - Prepare formworks in zone 2 - Pouring concrete - Pour concrete in zone 1 - Pour concrete in zone 2 Alternative 1: - Zone 1- Place reinforcing bars in zone 1- Prepare formworks in zone 1 - Pour concrete in zone 1 - Zone 2 - Place reinforcing bars in zone 2 - Prepare formworks in zone 2 - Pour concrete in zone 2 Real deliverables Not main deliverables Which one is better?

12.   Alternative 2: - Placing reinforcing bars - Place reinforcing bars in zone 1 - Place reinforcing bars in zone 2 - Preparing formworks - Prepare formworks in zone 1 - Prepare formworks in zone 2 - Pouring concrete - Pour concrete in zone 1 - Pour concrete in zone 2 Alternative 1: - Zone 1- Place reinforcing bars in zone 1- Prepare formworks in zone 1 - Pour concrete in zone 1 - Zone 2 - Place reinforcing bars in zone 2 - Prepare formworks in zone 2 - Pour concrete in zone 2 Deliverable Based Activity Based Which one is better?

13. 1.4.From a Simple Grouping to a Hierarchy

14. When we are dealing with large number of items, a simple one-level grouping would not be enough.

15. 1200 items; very hard to manage▪ ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

16. 1200 items, grouped in 120 grouping elementsstill hard to manage❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿ ❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿ Grouping in one level Each group consists of 10 items ▪ ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ ▪

17. 1200 itemsgrouped in 120 grouping elementsand those grouping elements themselves are grouped in 12 higher level elementit’s now manageable!  Grouping in two levels ❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿❿ ❿ ▪ ▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪ ▪

18. The first level of grouping The second level of grouping  grouping item 1❿ grouping item 1.1■item 1.1.1■item 1.1.2■item 1.1.3■item 1.1.4❿ grouping item 1.2 ❿ grouping item 1.3 grouping item 2 ❿ grouping item 2.1 ❿ grouping item 2.2 ❿ grouping item 2.3 ❿ grouping item 2.4 The actual items The multi-level groupings are called hierarchies

19. Another visual representation of the previous hierarchy

20. WBS is a hierarchicaldecomposition of the project work, based on deliverables.

21. 1.5.Grouping and Summarization

22. Grouping is used for organizing things.Organizing things makes it easier to manage them. Managing is not possible without summarized information.We also use groupings to provide summarized information.

43. Sum Min Max Calc Rollup methods: The appropriate method of rollup depends on the nature of the information.

44. The fifth core principle of the PRINCE2: Manage by Exception information for executives Higher levels of WBS Summarized information information for project management team Lower levels of WBS Detailed information WBS information for executing team

45. A well-formed WBS provides appropriate information for each management level involved in the project. A poor WBS couses problems in monitoring and controlling the project. An effective WBS is always deliverable-based. information for executives Higher levels of WBS Summarized information information for project management team Lower levels of WBS Detailed information WBS information for executing team

46. 1.6.WBS Cousins and Relatives

47. Part 2The Theory of the WBS

48. 2.1.Definition and Rules of WBS

49. 2.2.Naming Conventions of the WBS Elements

50. 2.3.Levels of the WBS