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 Getting the most out of a WBS

Raju N Rao PMP , SCPM

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Agenda

Current Dynamic &

Examples & Agile &
Practices & Strategic
Exercises WBS
Challenges Perspective
 WBS
Current Practice & Challenges

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WBS - Current Practice & Challenges
Standards
- Activity / Phase | Location
Scope / Area |Product /
Management - Deliverables |Resource /
Effort
- Top down / Bottom Up

Approach
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WBS - Current Practice & Challenges..2
Practice
Used - all
Knowledge
Areas

Scheduling

Monitoring & Control

Literature
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 WBS - Current Practice & Challenges…3
Standards :
No specific
tools /
techniques Purpose &
Use of
WBS ???

Knowledge /practice still evolving:

More training /workshops required
Presentation Title
 Examples

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 Activity / Phase orientation

WBS Orientation - some formats

Product / deliverable
orientation
Location / geography
orientation
Work package
Survey & Poll

E Mails Sent to about 400

persons. Response received from
51 persons . Thro survey monkey

Questions in this presentation

are followed by results from
survey already done
Quiz 1
If you find challenges in using WBS as a tool for
managing projects what is the likely reason? Select
ONE option

a) Not aware of WBS and its use

b) Have tried but not found it useful

c) Difficulty in propagating its use across organization

d) Without its use we are managing projects
successfully
e) Lack of training in understanding and using it
If you do not use a WBS for managing
projects what is the reason ?
 A Dynamic & Strategic Perspective

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WBS Different Strokes !

Initiating &
Planning
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WBS – Its Uses

Executing
Monitoring &
Controlling
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WBS - Standards - Literature - Practice

Standards - PMBOK - Scope

Management

Literature - e.g. Haugan* - can

be used in all Knowledge Areas

Practice – various approaches

* Haugan .G ,(2003) ,The work breakdown structure in government contracting,

Management Concepts,Vienna,VA, USA

Presentation Title
A Dynamic WBS !

Objective
Goal

Not only scope

management !

Stages of life
cycle
Presentation Title
Objectives for WBS Analysis
Project
Delivery time Budget
Schedule delay Constraints Resource
Time to market Over-run Optimization

Technical Revenue growth Organizational

Product Quality Market Share Sub Contracting
excellence Outsourcing

Communication
Project
Scope Creep
Risk
Identification
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WBS Orientation - Analogy

Rubik’s cube

Lego

OLAP cube
 Illustration

WHY ?

Praise the glory of the Lord

Build a cathedral
Build a wall HOW ?

Make square stones

Hit stones with a hammer
Source : R Youker and J Brown :Defining the Hierarchy of Project Objectives 2001 ASAPM
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Revenue growth / Increase market share
Objective Why – How Chain
Policy Why Increase sales revenue of product
How Revenue growth - Increase by 50% in 3 yrs
Strategic Why Revenue growth - Increase by 50% in 3 yrs

How Increase capacity of plants by 25 % in 3 yrs

Project Why Increase capacity of plants by 25 % in 3 yrs

How Install 2 plants - 1st plant by 1 year , 2nd by

3rd year
Input Why Install 2 plants - 1st plant by 1 year , 2nd by
3rd year
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How Install one plant within one year
Technical Excellence
Objective Why – How Chain
Policy Why Focus on product quality
How Increase quality from 2 sigma to 3 sigma level
Strategic Why Increase quality from 2 sigma to 3 sigma
level
How Upgrade eqpt /machinery with automation
Project Why Upgrade eqpt /machinery with automation
How Design and Procure equipment and
machinery for improved quality outputs
Input Why Design and Procure equipment and
machinery for improved quality outputs
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 Competitive advantage …strategies …1

Strategy Features of Strategy Action using WBS

Cost advantage (or Low cost project or product Deliverable / product
disadvantage) , cost overruns , orientation at level 1 and
Cost orientation at level 2.
Provide check points ( gates)
within phases at level 3
Time advantage (or First time advantage for Phase /activity orientation at
disadvantage) product - time to market, level 1 .Overlapping of
schedule slippage, project phases or activities Product /
late start deliverables at level 2
Competitive advantage …strategies …2
Strategy Features of Strategy
Product advantage Superior product features /
quality , new technology ,
Customer focus Understanding customer
needs , Involving customers
in project processes
Action using WBS
Deliverable / product
orientation at level 1.Further
breakdown on product /
deliverable could be done at
level 2
Option 1 Deliverable /
product orientation at level 1
Option 2 Phase /activity
orientation at level 1.
Quiz 2
What is the predominant purpose for
using a WBS?

Select ONE option from the following

list .
 b) Determining c) Risk
a) Cost control
/finalizing scope identification

d) Customer /
f) Outsourcing
product e) Scheduling
contracting
orientation

h) Project i) Resource
g) Initial
reporting & balancing
Planning
control /optimization

k)
j) Cost Communication l) Project
estimation with team execution
/stakeholders
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Example – Setting up a process plant

2 Plants

1 U&O - Utilities /Offsites

1 Office Block

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1- Phase/Activity orientation

E1 EUO EOB

E2

P1,2,UO,OB C1,2,UO,OB

Focus
Project completion time
Customer priority of delivery time
Importance of time to develop or market
Revenue growth / Improve market share
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2 - Deliverable

Focus
Customer preferences - scope /quality
Technical Excellence

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3 - Resources

Focus
Resource utilization / optimization &
efficiency
Make or Buy / Sub contracting /
Outsourcing
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Quiz 3
At which stage of the project life cycle do you
use a WBS predominantly ? Select ONE option
a) Conceptual Planning / Front End

b) Detailed Planning

c) Implementation / Execution

d) Close - Out
At which stage of the project life cycle
do you use a WBS Select all that apply
 Agile and WBS

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Agile or Waterfall ??

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PMBOK

In alignment - iterative & incremental

development

Not a methodology but a framework /

guide - much wider application

Recognizes that PM delivers project with

the the help of the team

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WBS - the Agile way …

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Properties ..WP and Story Cards

Work Packages Story Cards

Deliverable Oriented Describe what user will
value
About 80 hours of work Size - that which can be
done in about 2 weeks
Are Independent Should be Independent
Are testable Can be tested
Can be broken down into Are broken down into
activity lists tasks
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 semantics or perception ?
Epics
Releases
Features User Stories
Control Accounts
Tasks Work Packages
Sprints Activities
Functionality Deliverables
What is in a name ?That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet
- Shakespeare

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Final thoughts

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 Raju N Rao
 rao.raju@gmail.com
 551-226-2558
Presentation Title