Maximum number of Of WBS (2024)

FAQs

How many tasks should a WBS have? ›

WBS level 2: Tasks

However, they can also be project phases, depending on the industry and project type. There is no set number of elements that level 2, or any other level, should have. The WBS should contain as many elements as necessary to divide the project objective into its smallest constituents.

This rule states that the WBS includes 100% of the work defined by the project scope and captures ALL deliverables—internal, external and interim—in terms of work to be completed, including project management.

Another good measure is the “8 – 80” rule, which recommends that the lowest level of work should be no less than 8 hours and no more than 80 hours. Level of detail for work packets should be documented in the WBS Dictionary or the Project Management Plan.

Most work breakdown structures have 3 levels that represent the project's main deliverable, control accounts, project deliverables and work packages.

The rule states that 80% of the results of a project come from 20% of the work. Therefore, by focusing on the 20% of work that is most important, we can improve the efficiency of a project.

The 100 % Rule states that the WBS includes 100 % of the work defined by the project scope and captures ALL deliverables – internal, external, interim – in terms of the work to be completed, including project management.

Limitations of WBS include miscommunication, poor development, and lack of standardization, leading to project losses in cost, time, and quality due to inaccurate understanding of scopes and objectives.

Follow the 100% rule when drilling down through the levels of the WBS. The 100% rule states that every level of decomposition in the WBS must contain all of the deliverable elements, which represent 100% of its parent deliverable.

To be truly effective, a WBS should: Spell out everything related to creating and delivering the project, including all deliverables and milestones. Be created by the project manager and others directly involved in the project and not, for example, handed to a project manager “from above” or from a client.

What is WBS in Lean Six Sigma? ›

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the complete project scope into manageable parts of work. Each part will have a specific deliverable and project team has to complete all parts to complete the project.

The 8/80 rule will help you decide whether a given work package is small enough. The 8/80 means that a WBS work package should not take less than 8 (eight) hours of effort and a the same time, not more than 80 (eighty).

The Multiple Project WBS Template is designed to help you break down complex projects into manageable tasks and subtasks, ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks.

The WBS contains 100% of all the work in the project. At the top level is the project ultimate goal, the second level contains the project outcomes, the third level has the project outputs, and the fourth level with activities.

What are the types of WBS? Work breakdown structure is generally divided into three distinct types: deliverable-based WBS, phase-based WBS, and responsibility-based WBS.

Consider the 8/80 rule, which states that a single activity should take between eight and eighty work hours. In team task management, tasks requiring fewer than eight hours could be grouped with others and tasks over eighty hours are likely too cumbersome and should be broken down further.

In a project or contract, the WBS is developed by starting with the end objective and successively subdividing it into manageable components in terms of size, duration, and responsibility (e.g., systems, subsystems, components, tasks, subtasks, and work packages) which include all steps necessary to achieve the ...

Generally speaking, a WBS should include about three levels of detail. Some branches of the WBS will be more subdivided than others, but if most branches have about three levels, the scope of your project and the level of detail in your WBS are about right.