To verify that your WBS is complete, you need to ensure that the lowest-level work packages can be appropriately scheduled, were appropriately budgeted, and can be appropriately measured.
What is a rule of thumb to determine if the work package is sufficiently decomposed?
Gary Heerkens2 suggests a 4% Rule for decomposing a WBS. With this rule a WBS is adequately decomposed when the lowest element is about 4% of the total project. For a 26-week schedule, the lowest element should be about one week. For a $2.6M project, the lowest level should be about $104K.
What indicates that a work breakdown structure has been finalized?
How can you tell that a WBS has been finalized? Control accounts have been added. These accounts identify critical areas where work progress must be monitored and controlled.
Which criteria should be taken into account in the determination of work packages in a project?
A work package is generally decided on due to the following characteristics they have in common:
- Nature of work involved (e.g. marketing, programming, etc.)
- Outcomes of the tasks.
- Geographical location where tasks take place.
- Time when tasks will be completed.
- Technology or materials that will be used.
Can a WBS be too detailed?
Going into too much detail The amount of detail needed in your WBS is a judgement call. Too many levels and you’ll end up with work packages for every review meeting. A common rule of thumb is that you want the last level of decomposition to be a work package you could hand off to a workstream or team leader.
What is the 8 80 rule?
The “8 and 80” exception allows employers to pay one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate for all hours worked in excess of 8 in a workday and 80 in a fourteen-day period.
What is the lowest level that the WBS can be decomposed to?
work package
The lowest level of the WBS is called a work package, which is the level where duration and cost can be estimated reliably.
What are the levels of a WBS?
What Are The Levels of a WBS?
- The Top Level: The project title or final deliverable.
- Controls Account: The main project phases and deliverables.
- Work Packages: The group of tasks that lead to the controls account level.
- Activities: The tasks needed to complete the work package.
What makes up a well defined work package?
The required activities together with the deliverable or WBS element make up the work package. And a well-defined work package identifies these tasks that must be performed in order to deliver the work package. This article discusses the work package and its placement in relation to the WBS.
How does decomposition work in work breakdown structures?
Good work breakdown structures function as the project team’s task list. For an excellent overview of the work breakdown structure, see Ann Gordon’s series, “ What is a Work Breakdown Structure ” and Lucinda Watrous’ article “ The role of the WBS in the Project Planning Lifecycle Explained .” How does Decomposition work with the WBS?
How long does a work package have to be?
The duration of an activity follows the 8/80 rule. No work package should be less than eight hours nor should it be more than 80 hours. Work packages are independent of one another. Once work has begun, it can continue until complete.
How are work packages independent of one another?
Work packages are independent of one another. Once work has begun, it can continue until complete. Dependencies are noted, and a task that has begun should not stall because it has everything it requires contained within it. If all six of these criteria have been met, then decomposition has produced a successful work breakdown structure.
