For a project manager or  for a team working on  a project, when the project is complex we decompose the projects in elements in order to make sure we understand what has to be delivered. For this we use a technic called WBS which stands for Work Breakdown Structure. With this we will show a map in which all the deliverables of the project are shown.

We start with a first level which is the project name and then we refine the process till we reach work packages. We take as example the renovation of a house in which we had to renovate the kitchen the bathroom, a studio and the facade.  Those elements are the second level of the decomposition as we see it on the picture above.

Everything you need to accomplish in the project is displayed in a single, easy to understand chart.

Essentially, the WBS shows the “what” of the project without considering who or how. The purpose of this chart is to break down complex activities into smaller chunks , that a project team can understand. A work breakdown structure starts with the project as the top level deliverable and is further decomposed into sub-deliverables.

WBS defines the scope of your project and deliverables

This is one of the fundamental features of a WBS: it describes deliverables, not the activities necessary to get there. Every item in the WBS must correspond to an end product. The cupboard, the think, stove, dish washer are end products in our example.

Some advices that could help you in WBS

• Create WBS with a team involve the team in the planning.
• You should have at least three level
• Don’t  confuse work packages with tasks.

To see a practical example of how we number tasks using WBS with MS Project

You can watch the video in which Christian explains WBS: