P2 - 1

1
Session Outline

• What is a WBS and where is it useful?
• What is successive decomposition?
• How is the WBS used on a program?
• How can I tell if I have a good WBS?
• Numbering notation.
• Examples.
• Common errors.

Outline
2
Where is WBS Useful?

• Rocket Science?
• Brain Surgery?
• CVISN?

3
The Work Breakdown Structure Is...

• Product-oriented hierarchy of goods and
  services.
• Form inverted tree or indented list.
• Visualizing the entire project.
• Common framework for planning and control.
• Vehicle to divide work into tasks that are
• Manageable
• Independent
• Measurable
• Integratable
• Graphically displays entire project.
• Clear definition of all effort.
• Top Assembly Drawing of the project.
• Product Breakdown Structure or Project
  Breakdown Structure more apt name! Or perhaps
  Work Buildup Structure.

WBS Definition
4
Create a WBS via RecursiveProduct-Oriented
Decomposition
(Call This Level 1)
WBS Construction
2000-01-26
5
Example Break Down 100 (1 of 2)
100
2000-01-26
6
Example Break Down 100 (2 of 2)
100
2000-01-26
7
By decomposing, eventually.....
.....you get to activities that can be assigned
and scheduled.
WBS Construction
8
Example Extended WBS for a Complex Program

• Note the different orientations from top to
  bottom.

• WBS unfolds and evolves as
• scope and design become known.

WBS Definition
9
WBS for Brain Surgery (tree format)
Illustrative
Sources 1. Bailey Lovess Short Practice of
Surgery, 22nd Edition, edited by Charles V. Mann,
R.C.G. Russell, and Norman S. Williams. Chapman
Hall Medical, 1995. ISBN 0-412-49490-6. 2.
Brain Surgery Complication Avoidance and
Management, by Michael L. J. Apuzzo, M.D.
Churchill Livingstone, Inc., 1993. ISBN
0-443-08709-1. See Chapter 1, Preoperative and
Surgical Planning for Avoiding Complications by
Robert G. Grossman.
10
WBS for Brain Surgery (indented list)
Surgical Treatment Project 1.0
Diagnosis History General Medical
Condition Specific Complaint Clerking?? (for
elective surgery??) Clinical Exam Imaging Ultr
asonography Plain Radiography
(X-Ray) Computed Tomography (CAT
Scan) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Blood
and Tissue Tests Likely Diagnosis Risk
Assessment Education of Patient (e.g.
anatomy) Alternative Analysis
Trade-Offs Treatment Plan 2.0 Planning of the
Operation Communications Among Team Patient and
Team Positioning (for neurosurgery) Acquisition
of Needed Instruments Equipment Scheduling of
Needed Specialists Practice Run-Throughs
3. 0 Preoperative Patient Care Verify Patient
can Handle Stress of Surgery Stop Drugs that
Would Interfere with Surgery 4.0 Execution of
the Operation (Actual Surgery) Verify Patient
Identity and Location of Surgery Anesthesia Pati
ent Under the Knife Real-time Diagnostic
Biopsies Therapeutic Surgery Vital Signs and
Fluid-Loss Monitoring Neurophysiological
monitoring (during neurosurgery) Maintain Neat
and Clean Operative Field Wrap-up Verify Small
Part Count (sponge, needle, cottonoid, Michel
clips) Operative Notes and Chart Updates 5.0
Postoperative Care Written Care
Orders Briefing of Recovery Staff by
Surgeon Vital Signs and Fluid-Loss
Monitoring Neurophysiological Monitoring 6.0
Long-Term Patient Care Follow-up Clinical
Visits Physical Therapy
Illustrative
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WBS is The Basis For......

• Cost estimates and budgets.
• Milestones schedules.
• Responsibility assignment.
• Allocation of resources.
• Schedule horizontal and vertical traceability.
• Risk analysis.
• Concurrence of participants.
• Integrating the total project effort.
• Summarizing costs, schedules, performance.
• Forcing the Project Manager to think through all
  elements of the project.

WBS Definition
12
Tests for a Good WBS

• Product-oriented hierarchy of goods and services.
  
• Top level may be dictated by contract.
• Basis for cost estimating, project organization,
  assigning responsibility, task scheduling, and
  status reporting.
• Basis for understanding and communication.
• Each element should be manageable.
• Based on System Engineering interfaces are
  minimized units are stand-alone testable.
• Eliminating one product element will delete the
  associated costs.
• Segregate recurring from non-recurring costs.
• Identifies and defines all effort to be expended
  correlation of lower levels to specification
  tree, contract line items, data items, and work
  statement tasks.
• Useful! Reflects the way the work is managed and
  performed.
• Sufficiently low level to establish adequate
  visibility and confidence for cost estimating,
  project planning, and project control.
• Technical/cost/schedule can be integrated at
  every level for each element.

WBS Definition
13
WBS Levels Numbering Notation
Satellite Mission Project 1. Project
Management 2. Science Instruments 2.1
Magnetometer 2.2 Spectrograph 3. Spacecraft
Bus 3.1 Propulsion Subsystem 3.2 Attitude
Control Subsystem 3.3 Command Data Handling
Subsystem 3.3.1 CDH Hardware 3.3.1.1
Processor Card 3.3.1.2 Memory Card 3.3.2
CDH Software 3.3.3 Subsystem Integration 4.
Ground Support Equipment
WBS Definition
14
Scenario Exercise
Imagine you are working at the Atlantic Pacific
Sea Vision Fountain Pen Manufacturing Company
Motto Yesterdays Technology Solving Todays
Problems Tomorrow
Exercise
15
Key Concept The WBS is a product-oriented,
hierarchical list of the work to be done. The
program plan is linked to the system design
through the upper levels of the WBS.
Work Breakdown Structure
WBS Concept
16
Where Does the Work Get Done?!!
Satellite Mission Project 1. Project Management
2. Science Instruments 3. Spacecraft Bus 3.1
Propulsion Subsystem 3.2 Attitude Control
Subsystem 3.3 Command Data Handling
Subsystem 3.3.1 CDH Hardware 3.3.1.1
Processor Card 3.3.1.1.1 Engineering
Design 3.3.1.1.2 Layout Package
Design 3.3.1.1.3 Fabrication 3.3.1.1.4
Assembly Test 3.3.2 CDH Software 3.3.2.1
Command Parsing Module 3.3.2.1.1
Architectural Design 3.3.2.1.2 Detailed
Design 3.3.2.1.3 Coding 3.3.2.1.4 Unit
Test 3.3.3 Subsystem Integration 3.3.3.1
Integration Plan 3.3.3.1 Integrate Instruments
with Bus 4. Ground Support Equipment
WBS Definition
17
Typical WBS for a State CVISN Program
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
WBS Sample
2001-06-14
18
Elements Not to Include in WBS

• Do not use the structure of the contractors
  organization as the basis of a WBS.
• At the top levels do not begin by decomposing
  into the functions or cost categories associated
  with developing those products.

Adapted from Department of Defense Handbook
Work Breakdown Structure, MIL-HDBK-881.
Available at http//www.acq.osd.mil/pm/newpolicy/
wbs/wbs.html. Includes examples from the defense
industry.

• Do not use generic names -- use actual system
  names and nomenclature.
• No disembodied software -- software developed to
  reside on specific equipment must be identified
  as a subset of that equipment.

WBS Definition
19
Common Errors When Creating WBS

• Does not include all of the work.
• Example The project calls for a prototype and a
  final version, but the WBS shows only one of
  these. Or it shows the prototype in detail, and
  then simply lists the other without showing the
  work needed to produce it.
• The level of detail is not sufficient to manage
  the program.
• Example The big pieces may be there, but they
  are not broken down sufficiently to enable the
  work to be assigned, tracked, and managed. (The
  test would be Can you use this WBS to make a
  good, detailed CPM network?)
• Important but not readily apparent steps are left
  out.
• Example The omission of integration and testing.
• The work is there, but its not arranged
  logically.
• Example Lower-level product integration and
  testing is there, but its off on its own and you
  cannot tell what it is to be applied to or when.

WBS Definition