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Build a Work Breakdown Structure

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About this lesson

Once you define the tasks and resource needs for your project, you should create a work breakdown structure -- or WBS. The WBS will make it easier for you to know when one set of activities finish and another begins.

Lesson versions

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2013, 2019/365.

Exercise files

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Build a Work Breakdown Structure.mpp
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Build a Work Breakdown Structure - Completed.mpp
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Quick reference

Build a Work Breakdown Structure

Once you define the tasks and resource needs for your project, you should create a work breakdown structure -- or WBS. You build a WBS to logically group tasks into major phases of work. The WBS will make it easier for you to know when one set of activities finish and another begins.

Further Discussion

You can create as many levels of indents as you want, but it will become very hard to manage more than three or four levels.

Steps

To create a work breakdown structure (WBS), follow these steps:

  • Determine what logical groupings -- or phases -- you will use to organize your tasks.
  • Locate the first task in the first logical group, right-click the task, and then select the insert task menu item.
  • Rename the new task to be the heading you want to you.
  • Select all the appropriate tasks under your new task, click the Tasks tab, and then click the Indent icon.
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  • 00:04 We're going to create a work breakdown structure in this lesson.
  • 00:08 But before we do that, we have this task form displayed, which is a split view.
  • 00:13 We don't want to display that anymore.
  • 00:16 So the easiest way to get rid of it is to just double-click on the resize line.
  • 00:20 So this is the resize line, just double click and it will go away.
  • 00:26 If you ever want it back again,
  • 00:27 you can just double-click down here on the bottom right.
  • 00:31 Of course, you can use the View tab and deselect the details check box.
  • 00:38 Let's scroll to the top of the project.
  • 00:40 We essentially have a list of tasks, and
  • 00:44 they're not broken down into any additional categories.
  • 00:48 We want to break these down into categories so it will be easier for
  • 00:52 us to understand when one major area of work starts, and another finishes.
  • 00:57 We do this by creating what's called a work breakdown structure.
  • 01:01 And the work breakdown structure actually is made up of summary tasks.
  • 01:06 And summary tasks might also be referred to as phases, stages, or gates.
  • 01:12 But essentially, it's just a way to break up the project a little bit more, and
  • 01:16 we're going to do that now.
  • 01:19 When you build a work breakdown structure, you can look at what's called the outline
  • 01:23 number, and this gives you a sense for how far indented certain tasks are.
  • 01:29 So we have our Gantt chart selected, we'll now click on the Format tab under
  • 01:34 Gantt chart tools, locate the Show/Hide section and
  • 01:39 then check the outline number check box.
  • 01:42 Now, your tasks might move around a little bit,
  • 01:45 you can just scroll back up to the top.
  • 01:47 Now you can see these numbers next to each task.
  • 01:51 Right now, each number is coordinated with
  • 01:55 the item number on the left hand side of the screen.
  • 01:58 What we're gonna do is now indent some of these tasks.
  • 02:02 So the first thing I'm gonna do is create a new heading just above acquire land.
  • 02:07 So I'll right-click on task one and choose Insert Task.
  • 02:17 Now I can type a heading for some of these tasks that are below.
  • 02:32 And then I can select the tasks that are relating to Prepare House Purchase.
  • 02:43 And then what I'll do is go to the Task tab, and then locate the indent icon.
  • 02:50 Know when you mouse over certain icons,
  • 02:53 here's the outdent icon, you'll also see that there's shortcut keys.
  • 02:58 So you can also type Alt+Shift the right arrow, and
  • 03:01 you'll be able to indent the task.
  • 03:03 I'm going to use the icon, so I'll indent the tasks.
  • 03:06 Now you can see we have this major heading of 1, and
  • 03:11 then we have 1.1, 1.2, and so on for these tasks.
  • 03:16 Let's create another one.
  • 03:26 Now, Build House went under our one section.
  • 03:30 We want this to be a two section so we'll out-dent this, and
  • 03:35 then we'll select all the tasks related to building the house.
  • 03:47 Finally, I'll scroll down and I'll choose one more heading.
  • 03:53 So I'll indent a task, insert a task rather,
  • 03:58 outdent it, and then say Interior Design.
  • 04:16 And then I'll do one more task.
  • 04:29 There.
  • 04:30 So now we have a work breakdown structure.
  • 04:33 Now it's important to note that you can actually turn a task into a summary task.
  • 04:38 A summary task is what's listed as bold.
  • 04:40 So here I have paint walls.
  • 04:42 If I press the indent key, indent icon rather,
  • 04:45 you can see the task above it turned into a summary task.
  • 04:49 So you should be aware that that happens.
  • 04:51 You should never assign resources to summary tasks, nor
  • 04:54 do we ever link them with the predecessor linkages.
  • 04:58 So I'm going to outdent that, and bring it back again.
  • 05:02 So just be aware of that.
  • 05:03 When you create a new summary task,
  • 05:05 you really should insert a blank line and then turn that into a summary task,
  • 05:10 rather than converting a current task into a summary task.
  • 05:16 To summarize, we created a work breakdown structure
  • 05:20 that allows us to logically group tasks into major phases of work.
  • 05:25 We can indent these tasks as much as we want, but I recommend you don't do
  • 05:29 more than three or four indents, otherwise it's going to be hard to read.
  • 05:34 Also on the Gantt chart,
  • 05:35 you can see that the summary tasks are listed here, by these brackets.
  • 05:40 Summary tasks are always going to represent the start and
  • 05:43 finish of the tasks that are located underneath them.
  • 05:48 You do not need to keep this number on here, and
  • 05:52 you can turn that on anytime you'd like by going to the Format tab and
  • 05:56 choosing the Outline Number check box to turn it on and off.

Lesson notes are only available for subscribers.

Create Resource Assignments
06m:05s
Add Costs to the Project
06m:04s

PMI, PMP, CAPM and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

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