WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

WBS meaning to be a deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work executed

by the project team to accomplish the objectives and create the required deliverables. The
definition tells us who is responsible, what it is, and for what purpose. So, if you have a large
project, the project team creates the WBS to help break the project down into smaller, more
manageable and measurable deliverables that describe planned outcomes rather than planned
actions.
As a hierarchy, a WBS contain at least three levels, but can contain more depending on the
complexity and size of a project. The WBS levels are:

 First level: Project title of final deliverable

 Second level: Major deliverables or controls account
 Third level: Work packages that are deliverable to the customer
 Fourth level: Activities assigned to team members to complete work packages
All levels of a WBS should contain verifiable pieces of work. Project stakeholders can verify
activities through completed schedules or milestones. Some branches of a WBS can appear
more subdivided because of project complexity. But most branches should have about three
to four levels as a rule.

Importance of a WBS
Breaking down a large, complex project using a WBS is an organized way of planning,
executing, monitoring, and delivering the project successfully. With a breakdown of the
project into deliverables and work packages, project managers are able to perform the
following tasks more accurately:

 Estimate the project cost

 Establish task dependencies
 Develop a project schedule
 Determine the project timeline
 Write a statement of work
 Plan project resources
 Assign responsibilities and roles
 Track the progress
 Identify project risks

8/80 rule
Follow the 8/80 rule to ensures that no task is less than 8 hours or more than 80 hours in the
WBS. If a task is greater than 80 hours then you need to decompose it further into lower-level
work packages
Work Breakdown Structure of Mumbai Coastal Road Project.

**We have attached excel file of the WBS structure of Mumbai Coastal road project in an
excel file for clear view.**