Hierarchical work structure (WBS) ( eng. Work Breakdown Structure, WBS ; sometimes Work Decomposition Structure, SDR ) is a hierarchical breakdown of all the work that needs to be done to achieve the project goals into smaller operations and actions to a level at which the implementation of these actions is quite clear and relevant work can be evaluated and planned. It also includes determining the intermediate results of all the components of this structure of work.
Key Terms and Definitions
Work - a continuous physical or mental effort aimed at overcoming obstacles and achieving goals or results; a specific task, obligation, function or task, often being part of a phase or other, larger in scope of work; something produced or performed as a result of an effort or application of skills (qualifications).
Breakdown (decomposition) - the division into parts or categories, the allocation of simple components.
Structure - a fixed ordered set of objects and relationships between them, the classification of something on a given basis.
These definitions mean that the hierarchical structure of the work has the following characteristics:
- Describes the content of the project work with the necessary accuracy.
- Defines the entire scope of work on the project.
- It is formed in the form of a hierarchical structure (the project is decomposed into packages / subpackages, etc. works).
- Represents the scope of work for the package as a list of jobs with a measurable or comparable result.
- Has an objective or measurable result, which is considered as the result of work on a package or a set of work results.
Literature
- Project Management Body of Knowledge , 5th Edition