This article contains most of the important information you need to know about Create WBS process in order to answer questions related to this topic in the PMP Exam, I recommend you review this type of articles 1 week before your exam date, all information mentioned are based on PMBOK Guide 6th edition and PMP Exam Prep 9th edition for Rita Maclhy’s, ITTO refers to Inputs, Tools & Techniques and outputs.
This process is a part of Planning Process group and Scope Management Knowledge Area with the following ITTO’s
Inputs:
- Project Management Plan
- Project Documents
- Organizational process assets
- Enterprise Environmental factors
Tools & Techniques:
- Decomposition
- Expert Judgment
Outputs:
- Scope Baseline
- Project Document Updates
- Creating WBS is REQUIRED as part of project management, it should be created even for small projects.
- It’s the process of subdividing the project deliverables and project work into smaller and more manageable components .
- It is created through input from the project team and stakeholders; it is great in helping the team walk through the project to gain their buy in.
- Work Breakdown structure ( WBS ) is a structure hierarchy created by the organization , it can be in organization chart or table form based on the project deliverables not actions and tasks. ( Nouns not actions ) , It is a decomposition tool to break down work into lowest level manageable .
- The major tool and technique is Decomposition which divides deliverables into smaller peace’s called work packages, decomposition happens in Top-Down approach or bottom-up approach.
- In the process of “Define activities “those resulting work packages will be decomposed into activities.
- A group of tasks makes activity; task is a lower level than activity.
- A higher level above the work package is the Control account , each work package can have only one control account , This tool allows aggregation and analysis of work performance data regarding time , scope and cost.
- Work package duration varies on time , Small projects ( 4-40 hours ) , Medium Project ( 8-80 hours) , large projects ( Above 300 Hours ) .
- Code Of accounts: Numbering system that identifies WBS components.
- Chart of accounts: list of all account names and numbers
- Scope Creep: Increasing scope or varying from what was planned for.
- WBS doesn’t show dependencies between work packages but a wbs dictionary does.
- WBS Dictionary : Mainly protects from scope creep, it provides description of the work needs to be done for each work package , it can be used in work authorization system.
- As mentioned in Develop project management plan process, a Scope baseline contains Scope statement of work, WBS and WBS dictionary, so the Scope baseline is the main output of this process.
- For the PMP Exam , Memorize the followings for WBS :
- It is a graphical picture of the hierarchy of the project.
- Identifies all the deliverables to be completed.
- The Foundation upon which the project is built.
- Should exist for each project, It is very important!
- Forces you to think through all aspects of the projects.
- Can be reused for other projects.
- Doesn’t show dependencies.
- The Major Output of Create WBS Process is the Project Scope Baseline which contains the following :
- Project Scope Statement
- WBS
- WBS Package
- Planning Package
- WBS Dictionary