Project scheduling and Work Break Down Structure(WBS)
Presenter: Imran Ashraf Zehri
PROJECT SCHEDULING
• PROJECT:• An individual or collaborative enterprise that is carefully planned to
achieve a particular aim.• Planned set of interrelated tasks to be executed over a fixed period and
within certain cost and other limitations.
• SCHEDULING:• Scheduling consists of the assignment of starting and completion times
for the various operations to be performed.
WHY DO WE NEED A PROJECT SCHEDULE?The project schedule represents the tasks with:• start and finish dates of each task• duration of each task• dependencies between tasks (predecessors and successors)• a hierarchy organizing the tasks (using Work Breakdown Structure)• a graphical Gantt Chart showing the date ranges of the tasks as bars over
time
• Project schedules are not just for complex projects• Even a project with only a few tasks can benefit from the project
schedule
Where to Use Project Scheduling
WORK BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
• WBS is a decomposition of a project into smaller components or tasks
• A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a chart in which tasks, of a project are illustrated to portray their relationships to each other and to the project as a whole.
• WBS is a key project deliverable that organizes the team work in manageable sections
• WBS provides the necessary framework for detail cost estimating and control
• As a project has a definite start and end date,WBS defines the start and end
date of the projects
• Within the project there are phases,WBS makes portions or divides the project into phases
• Within each phase WBS provides work Units…work units are chunk of works in a phase..these must be completed before jumping to next phases
• WBS Divides work units into smaller tasks
• A task must be divided even it became a atomic task
• WBS divides a project in different levels
Project scope
Phases
Work Units
Tasks
WORKING WITH WBS
• There is no right or wrong way to create a WBS.
• WBS can be drawn on a white Board, Sketch on page using a pencil or being technical and using a software like Microsoft Project,excel,Visio or powerpoint……………….
DESIGNING PRINCIPLES
=>100% RULE:• 100 % Rule states that the WBS incudes 100% of the work identified by
the project scope and all deliverables..
=>MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE ELEMENTS:
• It is important that there is no overlap in scope definition between different elements of awork break down structure
• This ambiguity results in duplicate work or miscommunications about responsibility,cost accounting etc
=>LEVEL OF DETAIL:
• One must decide when to stop dividing into smaller elements
• This will help to determine the duration of activities
WHY WE NEED A WBS?
• It helps more accurately and specifically define and organize the scope of the project(Using hierarchichal tree structure)
• It helps with assigning responsibilities,resource allocation,monitoring the project and controlling the project
• This also allows for better estimation of cost,risk and time
• Finally it allows to double check the deliverables, specifics with the stake holders and make sure that nothing missing or overlapping
• Provides full control on project
ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
Communication
Lunch Meetings
Project Manager
Informal Chats
Phone Conferences
Web UpdatesFormal Meetings
EXAMPLE OF WBS
DIFFERENCE B/W PROJECT SCHEDULING
AND WBS?• Both are the part of project plan
• Usually WBS is developed first and then the project schedule is developed based on the WBS as each task in the project schedule is task in WBS