Example WBS from my new small project

I thought the little project was simple enough not to bother with a WBS. It was straightforward work that my team was accustomed to doing. This week I reconsidered that stance and built a WBS, and boy am I glad I did.

The Project

The project is to configure the CRM for a unique extended support offering. The launch is in March, roughly 60 days away. My team sets up support program configuration in the CRM all the time. We did initial feasibility conversations and even took basic configuration decisions in November. Then we put it on the shelf until after the holidays. We figured it was pretty straightforward stuff that would fall into normal operations.The work involves 3 primary project team members: the sponsor (program manager), myself (team manager & PM), and the tech (system config). We each work with several other people as needed to do our work, but we own the work outright.

We’re late January now and we pulled it down from the shelf to begin finalizing configuration, validating some November assumptions, etc. As we held those discussions, I began to feel like there were lots of details, assumptions, and decisions that needed more attention, more tracking, more review, and more validation, before we went too far down the path. I began to realize that this wasn’t as “normal operations” as I’d thought and I was really in “unique” project land. It was time for a WBS.

Project WBS

So, I took my hand to creating the WBS. My stress level began to drop as soon as I began. You know, loose ends being gathered up and such. It’s a beautiful thing! The tech and I reviewed it, then the sponsor and I reviewed it today. It grew and changed each time, which is both expected and desired. It’s fairly complete now.

And we all had the same response.

Wow.

Big.

More than we thought.

(At least we are having that response now and not 60 days from now. We have plenty of time still.)

Since doing my last formal WBS, I’d studied Josh Nankivel’s WBS Coach package. I used a lot of his ideas to create a cleaner and more complete WBS than I’ve usually done. And I decided to do a WBS dictionary this time. I don’t usually do that, but Josh won me over to his way of thinking. When I was done, I liked the additional clarity that the WBS Dictionary provided.

Here are my WBS and WBS Dictionary:

WBS Example - Click to see full-size image

WBS Dictionary Example - Click to see full-size image

Some Things To Notice

Taking from Josh’s notes and some other project management thought, here are some things to notice in my WBS.

• I’m a “Working PM”: In other words, I own some project deliverables. I’m both PM and Project Team Member. It is often written in PM literature that there are important risks with being a “Working PM.” Those risks center around the loss of PM focus, and they’re real risks. But in small project environments that like those I write about, it’s usually unavoidable. You just have to recognize the risks and defend that time and focus on PM activities while still lending your expertise to the project deliverables. That expertise is part of your unique value to the project. Don’t apologize for it, but be vigilant about your PM duties and the time it takes to do them properly.
• Deliverables-oriented; no tasks: Josh is adamant about having a deliverables-oriented WBS. I tend to agree with him. Every time I’ve tried to include tasks or verb language in my WBS, I lose control of it. Not all PM researchers and experts agree with this stance, but I find it much more functional, much clearer. And clarity is good.
• Support Activities: Despite knowing better, at least academically, I’ve never included included PM activities in my past WBS’s. I included some this time. I like having it there. Not having done it before, I was unsure how to include these activities. I leveraged Josh’s example WBS and WBS Dictionary in the WBS Coach package for guidance. I slimmed it down to the tools I intend to use for the size of project I’m doing.
• WBS Dictionary includes owners: It’s not a typical part of the WBS Dictionary, but at this stage of planning, it made sense to me to include that here. I may extend this further in later planning to combine RACI info, etc., in this same file. When I build the schedule, I may use OpenProj, an opensource MS Project type of software, and I may move assignment info to that tool then. This kind of flexibility is fair game, in my opinion. Tweak the tools to match your needs. Simplify wherever possible.
• “Uneven” decomposition: All parts of the WBS are not decomposed to the same degree of detail. Josh advocates that approach, and I support it avidly. In my opinion, decomposition needs to accomplish 2 things: It’s detailed enough for me to control as PM, and detailed enough for me to us the WBS to communicate effectively with Stakeholders. If I can do those two things, then the WBS is detailed enough.

The WBS Payoff

The WBS has already begun serving its purpose this week. It’s given us a more defined and complete sense of all the work that is needed. We identified some things we’d not thought of at all yet. We’ve already reached out to the groups that we need to train to get on their calendars, even before defining the training material. We’ve validated some assumptions and corrected and completed some configuration. We’ve even been able to accomplish some early testing of some areas we were concerned about. We have a lot fewer questions marks on Friday night than we had Monday, and that’s a direct result of collaboratively building a project WBS.

Sharing the WBS

We’re a small group, but I still hate passing various versions of files in email. It’s a very sloppy, unenlightened work process. File sharing, info sharing — things need to be referenceable so that users always can trust that they’re using the latest version.

So, I created a new file folder in my team’s workspace in Novell Teaming. There, I’ve uploaded the 2 sources files. Because not everyone uses XMind, the application for my graphical WBS, I upload the same PNG file I provided you here. (OK, the one I provided you here is “sanitized” and made generic. My real one has actual product names, function titles, etc.) I’ve also uploaded a draft of the FAQ. The FAQ file name begins with it’s WBS number (“WBS 2.2.1 – FAQ”) to allow for traceability, another benefit of WBS and something that Josh discusses in WBS Coach.

Feedback

I would certainly be interested in your feedback on the WBS example that I’ve posted here. Analyze it. Rip it apart. But remember that WBS is a highly subjective exercise. Still, I’m sure I could learn from your experiences, too. To give feedback, post a comment below.

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Do you need help building an effective WBS? I highly recommend the package, WBS Coach, from Josh Nankivel. I use it and I believe in it enough that I’m an affiliate for the package, so if you buy the package, I’ll get a little Pepsi money.

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