A Work Breakdown Structure for Implementing and Costing an ERP Project Communications of the IBIMA Volume 6, 2008 96 Fig 1. WBS for ERP Implementation. Software Directory; Annual Mind Map Report; Online Courses; Blog; Upload * Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Tempalte. Uploaded by imindq(62) via web. The WBS is a view into the project which shows what work the project. Info. Comm International, the Audiovisual (AV) Association. Print. Type: Article, Report or Whitepaper. Topics: Project Management. Date: April 2. 01. By Bradley A. Malone, PMPThis is the eighth in an ongoing series of organizational project management articles by Info. Comm University. Read the seventh installment, . NASA Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Handbook Page iii NASA/SP-2010-3404 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Handbook National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Headquarters Washington, D.C.Department of Defense came up with a common- sense project management concept that AV companies should use today. Back then, according to the Journal of Defense Software Engineering, the Navy began using something called the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) in support of the Polaris missile program. Though it was codified in later years and is currently used primarily as an estimating technique, PERT is considered the starting point for the work breakdown structure philosophy. The work breakdown structure (WBS) is a deliverable- oriented grouping of project components that helps organize and define a project. Effectively, the WBS describes a project. It also relates each of the deliverable work components to one another and to the total product or service as a whole. This interrelationship between components facilitates the definition of the project. As when AV companies detail a project. And once developed, a WBS can be used as a template for similar projects, with the benefit of developing a common language and thought structure. The Roots of the Project. In the beginning, a WBS does not address the project. These are addressed later, as the project moves through the planning processes. The WBS is a noun- based thought process, not a verb or activity- based schedule, although it will ultimately help the AV team formulate a schedule of activities and the associated effort required to fulfill each deliverable. As a project- management document, a well composed WBS is essential because it serves as a foundation for initiating and planning the project. For a tree to bear fruit, its roots must be deep, wide and exhaustive. And just as roots become finer as they descend into soil, the WBS should define the project. The roots of the WBS may include product components, functions (for software deliverables) or process steps (for business process- engineering projects). Refer to the graphic below as we discuss the essential elements of an effective WBS. The WBS serves many critical purposes, the most important of which is defining the work to be performed and breaking it into manageable components. Developing a work breakdown structure generates a number of other planning benefits, such as a greater ability to determine the types of resources needed; a better comprehension of their roles; and a more accurate understanding of the skill levels required to manage the pieces of the project. Creating a detailed WBS also improves an account manager. It is always easier and more accurate to perform these tasks at a lower level of decomposition. Doing so also enables you to better identify, document, and control changes. A well- crafted WBS also helps a project manager define the performance- measurement baseline from which he or she can judge a project. When the status of the project is asked at its summary level (. However, when the project. When asked at a finer level of the WBS root system, the question may be, . Sales should enter it in operational terms, as viewed from the customer. In the case of a product- oriented classroom installation, for instance, you might describe the purpose as: . Equipment and furniture need to be durable and easy to maintain and reposition. Without a purpose statement, the big picture will be unclear and the project implementation (and service) team might lose sight of the customer. That said, you should strive to create one that is both exhaustive and exclusive. Exhaustive in that it contains all the components and details necessary to satisfy the customer. In our example of a product- oriented WBS, the cabling would not be entered under the each of the pieces of equipment, because cabling will be part of the facilities and will serve the entire room configuration. For example, are cabling, conduit, electrical, wire, etc, synonymous, or do they describe different objects that perform different functions? To eliminate potential confusion, the AV team must facilitate communication and agreement instead of having several versions of the same work breakdown structure done by different departments or individuals, each with their own vocabulary. A well crafted WBS also helps identify how a change in one aspect ripples across the product and project. In the absence of a WBS, change notification is typically limited to those who deal with the particular piece or part of the project that. A WBS visually demonstrates the product and project- wide ramifications of making a change in one component and therefore gives the project. Consider, for example, the classroom project. Just because a new type of cabling is less expensive and could possibly provide better performance, it does not necessarily mean that the new cabling is appropriate for the project, nor does it mean that it will save the project money or enhance the client. In fact, changing the cabling may actually require changes to multiple components or control panels. Managing the WBSOnce a work breakdown structure has been developed, a numbering system can be created to identify and position each level and/or component. This numbering system can be used in conjunction with both the organization. Tracking the costs and effort required at a lower level allows an AV company to validate its estimation process and manage risk . Using WBS templates and tracking appropriately can help close the loop among sales, estimation and implementation teams, allowing for the regular refinement of estimates and their assumptions. During the implementation phase of a project, the project manager typically manages down to the third or fourth level of a project. These are usually the levels at which components are more standard across projects. If, by some chance, the projector for a given project is being configured in a unique fashion, or must interface with other equipment in a unique configuration, then the project manager should manage down to a lower level. At the end of the day, a deliverable- oriented work breakdown structure is a powerful planning, estimating, learning, communicating, status- reporting and change- controlling tool. Every project should have one. And the good thing is, once a company has built one, it has a template for future similar projects, which ultimately saves time and helps avoid potential mistakes and oversights. Bradley A. Malone, PMP, is an Info. Comm University. He holds the Project Management Professional (PMP. Please share your thoughts with him atbrad@twinstarconsulting. Work Breakdown Structure - Web Template Files.
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