Work breakdown structure

For other uses of "breakdown structures", see Breakdown structure.
Example from MIL-HDBK-881, which illustrates the first three levels of a typical aircraft system[1]

A work-breakdown structure (WBS)[2] in project management and systems engineering is a deliverable-oriented breakdown of a project into smaller components. A work breakdown structure is a key project management element that organizes the team's work into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of Knowledge defines the work-breakdown structure as a "hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables."[3]: 434 [4]

A WBS provides the necessary framework for detailed cost estimation and control while providing guidance for schedule development and control.[5]

  1. ^ Systems Engineering Fundamentals. Archived 2006-02-11 at the Wayback Machine Defense Acquisition University Press, 2001
  2. ^ "Glossary of Defense Acquisition Acronyms and Terms: Contract Work Breakdown Structure (CWBS)". Defense Acquisition University. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
  3. ^ Kerzner, Harold (2009). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling (10th ed.). Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-27870-3.
  4. ^ Project Management Institute 2021, §Glossary Section 3. Definitions.
  5. ^ Booz, Allen & Hamilton Earned Value Management Tutorial Module 2: Work Breakdown Structure, Office of Science, Tools & Resources for Project Management, science.energy.gov. Accessed 27. Dec 2011.