Project plan – Work breakdown structure
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a description of the work that will be done for a project. It’s a hierarchy of tasks that represents the project team’s understanding of the composition of work and of the size, cost, and duration of each component or task. A WBS has three major purposes:
- Describe the breakdown or composition of work in tasks.
- Schedule the project work.
- Assign resources to the project work.
The degree of detail in a WBS depends on the level of accuracy that is required in estimates and the level of tracking that is required against those estimates. Projects that have low tolerance for slippages in schedule or cost usually require a more detailed WBS, in addition to diligent tracking of work progress and cost against the WBS. This kind of project is common in the construction and engineering industries.
