PM ADVISORY:

Work Breakdown Structure
What It’s for and How to Use It

By Mark Wilfer

AT&T Business Solutions

Every project is regarded as a unique endeavor. Therefore, when a project is first chartered it is assumed the project team cannot immediately know all details of the work to be done. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the tool used to determine those details. The WBS is considered an essential part of project planning because it serves as a framework for discovery, exploring the full extent of work to be conducted. Understanding the role of the WBS and how to use it effectively can make a substantial difference in the project team’s ability to successfully manage the project.

The WBS is aptly named; it is truly a structural breakdown of work. More specifically, the breakdown is in terms of the project’s deliverables—that is, the nouns, or things, that need to be produced, compiled, designed, built, created, or otherwise made ready. The WBS is hierarchical in nature, with the very top showing the highest level deliverable: the product, service, or result that serves as the project purpose. The next level of the WBS represents the highest-level component deliverables necessary to complete the overall purpose. These are often identified in, and carried over directly from, the scope statement.

Through experience, inquiry, and expert judgment, the Project Manager and project team determine all subsequent deliverables that comprise each of the major deliverables.

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About the Author Mark Wilfer Author Mark Wilfer is a Senior Program Manager at AT&T Business Solutions Project Management. He earned his PMP certification in 2004, and went on to develop numerous tools, templates, and guides, to help other project managers become more efficient at their work.  Mark also volunteered for the Project Management Institute (PMI), leading development of Chapter Two for the PMBOK® Guide Fourth Edition, as well as assisting with the review and adjudication of several other chapters. In addition to a Master of Science in Telecommunications Management from Golden Gate University, Mark holds a Master of International Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, and speaks Mandarin Chinese as a second language. His experience in the Telecommunications industry spans more than 12 years, covering the installation of complex voice and data services for some of the largest Fortune 500 corporations in the United States. Prior to joining AT&T, Mark worked for State government on a project delivering Internet service to schools and libraries through the TEACH Wisconsin program. Mark can be reached at mark.wilfer@att.com.