A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical chart that breaks down complex tasks into smaller, discrete units. It should contain 100% of necessary work and be mutually exclusive. A dictionary can be used for clarification. The system originated in the Department of Defense and is now used in the corporate world.
The work breakdown structure describes a method of representing and organizing the work that will be required to achieve a goal. Creating a work breakdown structure involves taking a complex task with many parts and describing each one individually in a single graph. The goal of creating one of these charts is to create clarity about what needs to be done, from the beginning to the end of a project.
A work breakdown structure is usually organized in a hierarchical manner. At the top is the main goal: for example, “cooking s’mores on a campfire.” The goal will then be broken down into smaller goals, such as getting supplies, starting a fire, maintaining a fire, and actually cooking s’mores. Each of these smaller units can in turn be divided. For example, “gathering supplies” would be broken down into buying food, gathering sticks, and cutting firewood. Specific tasks can be assigned to different team members of people trying to cook s’mores.
A common feature of work breakdown structures is the 100% rule. The work breakdown structure should contain 100% of the work that needs to be done. It should represent a complete accounting of all necessary activities. It also shouldn’t include work that isn’t necessary to achieve the primary goal. Of course, in the real world, it might be impossible to achieve this perfectly.
Another principle of the WBS is mutual exclusivity. That is, the different elements enumerated on the graph should not overlap each other. The goal is complete clarity in representing discrete tasks. Keeping tasks separate is especially useful in large projects with many participants looking to collaborate without duplication.
A common but optional WBS element is a dictionary. The dictionary is also particularly useful for large projects. The dictionary defines the terms and acronyms used in the graph. Providing this type of supplemental explanation increases the likelihood that anyone who sees the document will understand it as well. Different interpretations of the same text can produce the same confusion of a document which itself is not clear.
The idea of the job breakdown structure originated in the Department of Defense in the 1950s and 1960s. A forerunner of the work-sharing structure was used in the creation of the Polaris missiles. Eventually, the system was codified in government document MIL-STD-881, “Work Breakdown Structures for Defense Equipment Items.” The process remains in use by the military, but has also spilled over into the corporate world.
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