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

E-mail

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