Work Breakdown Structure Examples

by Josh

A common question you might ask is “where can I find work breakdown structure examples?” Sometimes, it’s nice to look over someone’s shoulder and have them show you.

In this video, you can get a feel for both the traditional WBS graphical representation and how to do the same thing with mind mapping software. I’m a big proponent of mind mapping software, I love it!

Check out the video!

Related posts:

  1. Project Management: How to Keep Your Work and Family Life Separate

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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }

Donna September 2, 2008 at 7:14 pm

I was wondering if you thought PMI’s Researching the Value of Project Management study leant itself to convincing organizations to buy into project management. i just got finished reading it, and i am looking for other thoughts on the subject. i read pmstudent.com sometimes and was suprised there was nothing here on it.

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Donna September 2, 2008 at 1:14 pm

I was wondering if you thought PMI’s Researching the Value of Project Management study leant itself to convincing organizations to buy into project management. i just got finished reading it, and i am looking for other thoughts on the subject. i read pmstudent.com sometimes and was suprised there was nothing here on it.

Reply

Josh Nankivel September 2, 2008 at 7:35 pm

Donna, I thought that hadn’t been released yet? I just checked PMI’s site and the order page is still set up for an advanced copy – coming soon. I would love it if you could write up your thoughts in a post for pmStudent!

There is some video footage of the conference in Warsaw that I have not been able to sit down and watch yet.

If anyone would like to write a post on the report or conference, please register on the top-right of this page! You’ll be able to submit a post immediately, and detailed instructions are available after you log in as a registered member of pmStudent.com

Josh Nankivel

Reply

Josh Nankivel September 2, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Donna, I thought that hadn’t been released yet? I just checked PMI’s site and the order page is still set up for an advanced copy – coming soon. I would love it if you could write up your thoughts in a post for pmStudent!

There is some video footage of the conference in Warsaw that I have not been able to sit down and watch yet.

If anyone would like to write a post on the report or conference, please register on the top-right of this page! You’ll be able to submit a post immediately, and detailed instructions are available after you log in as a registered member of pmStudent.com

Josh Nankivel

Reply

Glen B. Alleman August 31, 2009 at 6:55 pm

Josh,

The idea of a Mind Map to build a WBS is a match made in heaven. The video though makes the cardinal sin of WBS – it is functional in nature not product in nature.

The result is a “level of effort” view of the car. “Design Engine,” never says what done looks like.

Use the MM tools for the right reason. The terminal nodes of the WBS Map are physical and tangible “things” that can be assembled into other tangible “things.”

There can also be processes that are needed for the production of the end item – the car. But never are there roles or functions in the WBS.

Reply

Glen B. Alleman August 31, 2009 at 1:55 pm

Josh,

The idea of a Mind Map to build a WBS is a match made in heaven. The video though makes the cardinal sin of WBS – it is functional in nature not product in nature.

The result is a “level of effort” view of the car. “Design Engine,” never says what done looks like.

Use the MM tools for the right reason. The terminal nodes of the WBS Map are physical and tangible “things” that can be assembled into other tangible “things.”

There can also be processes that are needed for the production of the end item – the car. But never are there roles or functions in the WBS.

Reply

Josh Nankivel August 31, 2009 at 8:11 pm

I completely agree about the methodology of the WBS Glen, but this was the best video I could find demonstrating mindmapping in relation to the WBS.

One of these days I’ll get around to doing a video myself…

Reply

Glen B. Alleman September 2, 2009 at 4:24 am

Josh,

It’s interesting the Mind Jet hasn’t picked up on this. I was an early adopter of MM when the beta team allowed us at Ricky Flats to test early versions to build a large WBS for a building closure.

MJ has never really understood the project management side of their tool. We use it to build the IMP for every program we work and guide the capture of Product Development Kaizen (PDK) sessions.

I lead a IMP/IMS development for a manned spacecraft flight test article (FAST) for an early proposal that turned into the current Orion Program (Crew Exploration Vehicle – CEV) in 3 weeks. From hand wavings to baselined IMS with the systems engineers, us planners, cost estimators, and a few engineering specailist.

It’s a wonderdful concept. But like Design Structure Matrix – much misunderstood and under used.

Reply

Josh Nankivel August 31, 2009 at 3:11 pm

I completely agree about the methodology of the WBS Glen, but this was the best video I could find demonstrating mindmapping in relation to the WBS.

One of these days I’ll get around to doing a video myself…

Reply

Glen B. Alleman September 1, 2009 at 11:24 pm

Josh,

It’s interesting the Mind Jet hasn’t picked up on this. I was an early adopter of MM when the beta team allowed us at Ricky Flats to test early versions to build a large WBS for a building closure.

MJ has never really understood the project management side of their tool. We use it to build the IMP for every program we work and guide the capture of Product Development Kaizen (PDK) sessions.

I lead a IMP/IMS development for a manned spacecraft flight test article (FAST) for an early proposal that turned into the current Orion Program (Crew Exploration Vehicle – CEV) in 3 weeks. From hand wavings to baselined IMS with the systems engineers, us planners, cost estimators, and a few engineering specailist.

It’s a wonderdful concept. But like Design Structure Matrix – much misunderstood and under used.

Reply

Alan T October 3, 2010 at 7:16 pm

Surely WBS is *exactly* functional, a PBS (Product Breakdown Structure) is product-ised. My approach is to break down the end game via PBS and then break it further using WBS to include all the pernickety *doing* stuff – review, schedule, check, etc.

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Anonymous October 3, 2010 at 8:21 pm

Thanks for the comment Alan! It sounds like you and I do very similar things, just in a different way. For me the WBS is only deliverables-based and so I don’t see a need for a PBS…my WBS is a PBS. From there, I use a Basis of Estimates (BOE) to list tasks needed for a deliverable and at the same time establish dependencies, estimates, and rationale/justifications and assumptions related to the tasks.

I think the means may be somewhat cultural in nature and definitely industry specific too. Do you happen to be from the UK or an area where PRINCE2 is prevalent Alan?

Thanks!

Reply

Angel Agueda October 24, 2010 at 3:49 am

Hi Alan,
PBS and WBS are uses for the same thing with a very big difference that Josh remove in his book “Your WBS coach”, include the time variable in the representation. There are another little differences but are not very important.
I prefer talk and use PBS because Product describe better than Work the goal of this technique.

Reply

MLG October 21, 2010 at 9:38 pm

Do you have a sample of a 3 levels WBS that you can share?

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Anonymous October 22, 2010 at 6:38 pm

MLG, you can do a search and find examples, but I think many of them point you in the wrong direction. Here is a graphic of the structure taken from WBS Coach.

Reply

Anonymous October 23, 2010 at 7:05 am

I have switched from FreeMind to it’s more active fork, FreePlane (http://freeplane.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). I highly recommend making the change

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