How to define and assign WBS Codes?
1. Choose Project > WBS > Define Code. Project displays the WBS Code Definition dialog box. Code preview box shows you the format of the WBS code that you’re designing as you design it.
2. WBS Code Prefix: Use the Project Code Prefix box to apply a prefix to all WBS codes that you assign. For example, you may want to use the initials of the project name.
3. For each level in WBS, do the below steps.
3.1. Sequence: In the Sequence column, select the type of character that you want to use for each level of the WBS code. If you choose Characters (unordered), Project inserts an asterisk at that position of the WBS code.
3.2. Length of WBS Code part: Select the list box in length column and choose the length of the level of WBS code.
3.3. Separator: In the separator column, use the list box to select period (.), dash (-), plus (+) or slash (/) or any character that is not number or a letter
4. Check Generate WBS Codes for new tasks and Verify uniqueness of new WBS codes checkbox
5. Click OK to finish.
For example, WBS code is defined with a mask of Numbers (Ordered) Length 1, Numbers (Ordered) Length 1, and Characters (Unordered) length 2. While entering the WBS code for a task in second-level, you would initially see a WBS of 1.1.**. This can be later changed to 1.1.ab
By default, the WBS code does not appear in Gantt Chart view; to view it add the WBS column.
Problems with WBS Codes
1. They don't automatically renumber themselves when you change the structure of project outline
For example, AM-04.1 Request Purchase Order task comes under AM-04 Order Food summary task.
When, AM-04.1 Request Purchase Order task is promoted to its parent level its WBS code is regenerated to the next available WBS code (AM-08)
2. If you want to renumber them, then choose Project > WBS > Renumber.
Next post: How to assign codes to tasks that are not tied to the outline structure?
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
blogger.sai.june.wbs: Yes. It is about Work Breakdown Structure
History:
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) was initially developed by the U.S. defense establishment, and it is described in Military Standard (MIL-STD) 881B (25 Mar 93) as follows: “A work breakdown structure is a product-oriented family tree composed of hardware, software, services, data and facilities …. [it] displays and defines the product(s) to be developed and/or produced and relates the elements of work to be accomplished to each other and to the end product(s).”
(Simple) Definition:
A project can be made more manageable by breaking it down into individual components that together are known as WBS. Thus, it is a result-oriented family structure that captures all the work of a project in an organized way. It answers “what” of the project rather than the “who”, “how” or “when” part of the project. That is, it is a clear description of the project deliverables and scope, and not a description of the process or the schedule of the project.
It facilitates other project management processes such as estimation, scheduling, resource allocation and even risk analysis of the project.
Is WBS process-oriented or product-oriented?
Though the initial definition of WBS was to create a product-oriented family structure, subsequently it was made flexible to support process-oriented family structure. WBS can be built using verbs or nouns. If the results of the project are more of verbs then a verb-based (or process-based) WBS is recommended.
WBS Design Principles
100% Rule: Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures (Second Edition), published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) defines the 100% Rule as follows:
The 100% Rule…states that the WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and captures ALL deliverables – internal, external, interim – in terms of the work to be completed, including project management. … The rule applies at all levels within the hierarchy: the sum of the work at the “child” level must equal 100% of the work represented by the “parent” and the WBS should not include any work that falls outside the actual scope of the project, that is, it cannot include more than 100% of the work… It is important to remember that the 100% rule also applies to the activity level. The work represented by the activities in each work package must add up to 100% of the work necessary to complete the work package.
Focus on planned outcomes and not planned actions
Best approach to adhere to 100% rule is to define the WBS elements in terms of outcomes or results, rather than in actions. In product development, the hierarchy is made up of components that make up an item and hence called product breakdown structure. When the work is divided by phases, it must be ensured each phase is clearly separated by deliverables with entry and exit criteria defined.
Mutually exclusive elements
In addition to 100% rule, it is important there is no overlap between in “what” needs to be achieved by two elements in WBS. If there is an ambiguity, it may result in duplicated work or miscommunication. This can be avoided, by mantaining a WBS dictionary. The dictionary describes each WBS element with scope, deliverables, activities, resources and even dates.
WBS Coding Scheme
WBS elements are numbered sequentially to reveal the hierarchy structure. For example blogger.sai.june.wbs, indicates this post is for the month of June submitted by sai in blogger. WBS codes can be letters and numbers (or even combination) that helps to identify the relationship among the tasks and organizes the project.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) was initially developed by the U.S. defense establishment, and it is described in Military Standard (MIL-STD) 881B (25 Mar 93) as follows: “A work breakdown structure is a product-oriented family tree composed of hardware, software, services, data and facilities …. [it] displays and defines the product(s) to be developed and/or produced and relates the elements of work to be accomplished to each other and to the end product(s).”
(Simple) Definition:
A project can be made more manageable by breaking it down into individual components that together are known as WBS. Thus, it is a result-oriented family structure that captures all the work of a project in an organized way. It answers “what” of the project rather than the “who”, “how” or “when” part of the project. That is, it is a clear description of the project deliverables and scope, and not a description of the process or the schedule of the project.
It facilitates other project management processes such as estimation, scheduling, resource allocation and even risk analysis of the project.
Is WBS process-oriented or product-oriented?
Though the initial definition of WBS was to create a product-oriented family structure, subsequently it was made flexible to support process-oriented family structure. WBS can be built using verbs or nouns. If the results of the project are more of verbs then a verb-based (or process-based) WBS is recommended.
WBS Design Principles
100% Rule: Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures (Second Edition), published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) defines the 100% Rule as follows:
The 100% Rule…states that the WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and captures ALL deliverables – internal, external, interim – in terms of the work to be completed, including project management. … The rule applies at all levels within the hierarchy: the sum of the work at the “child” level must equal 100% of the work represented by the “parent” and the WBS should not include any work that falls outside the actual scope of the project, that is, it cannot include more than 100% of the work… It is important to remember that the 100% rule also applies to the activity level. The work represented by the activities in each work package must add up to 100% of the work necessary to complete the work package.
Focus on planned outcomes and not planned actions
Best approach to adhere to 100% rule is to define the WBS elements in terms of outcomes or results, rather than in actions. In product development, the hierarchy is made up of components that make up an item and hence called product breakdown structure. When the work is divided by phases, it must be ensured each phase is clearly separated by deliverables with entry and exit criteria defined.
Mutually exclusive elements
In addition to 100% rule, it is important there is no overlap between in “what” needs to be achieved by two elements in WBS. If there is an ambiguity, it may result in duplicated work or miscommunication. This can be avoided, by mantaining a WBS dictionary. The dictionary describes each WBS element with scope, deliverables, activities, resources and even dates.
WBS Coding Scheme
WBS elements are numbered sequentially to reveal the hierarchy structure. For example blogger.sai.june.wbs, indicates this post is for the month of June submitted by sai in blogger. WBS codes can be letters and numbers (or even combination) that helps to identify the relationship among the tasks and organizes the project.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
