Guidelines for Building a WBS

Refer to these guidelines when you create a work breakdown structure (WBS) for a plan.

By default, Planning provides these levels in the WBS:

• Level 1: Project

• Level 2: Phase

• Level 3: Task

• Level 4: Labor Code

Branches of the same WBS may contain different number of levels. One branch may have two levels; another branch may consist of three levels.

To map a plan to records in the Vision Info Center, you must limit the number of levels in your plan to the four provided by default.

Where are Resources Assigned?

You assign resources at the lowest level of your WBS. This is also the level at which labor and consultant costs are calculated.

Amount of Detail

In general, the more detailed your WBS is, the more accurately you can predict resource assignments; budget labor costs, expenses, and consultants; and forecast both revenue and profit.

The purpose of your plan relates directly to the level of detail you should provide:

• If you are building a cost proposal, you can create a WBS that includes as many discrete tasks as you can possibly identify.

• If you are trying out a "what-if?" scenario, you can keep your plan at a summary level, providing a project identifier and a series of phases whose durations and costs are based on historical opportunity or project plans.

• If you are building a template to be used for a series of similar plans, you can build a more detailed WBS that includes many tasks.

• If you are creating a project plan after winning a contract, you'll want to include as much detail as possible.