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Abbreviated as [WBS
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Subdivide large tasks into smaller ones.
- Cannot estimate without dividing into distinct units
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Everyone does it unknowingly.
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It’s also an important element of project planning, so there’s a lot of consideration being given to it.
- Example: There are procedure-type WBS and deliverable-type WBS in WBS
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History
- PMI introduced it to the public in PMBOK in 1987, after it was used by the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA.
- In Japan, DIPS Intellectual Productivity System talks about task breakdown in 1992
- Not hierarchical.
Nishio’s tips on how to create an organized WBS
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For example, many people probably write down “things to do” in the form of a GTD Inbox or a TODO list (if you haven’t, do it first).
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Often, “Vague and large tasks” that “cannot be started immediately” are mixed in among them.
- Example: “Write an explanation of how to solve the traveling salesman problem with a quantum computer.”
- To perform this work, we need to break it up (i.e., break it down) into smaller pieces
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Some may divide it up somehow.
- Example
- Write an explanation of how to solve the traveling salesman problem with a quantum computer.
- A brief description of quantum computers
- Explanation of the traveling salesman problem
- Explanation of what kind of Ising model should be used
- Write an explanation of how to solve the traveling salesman problem with a quantum computer.
- Another example
- Write an explanation of how to solve the traveling salesman problem with a quantum computer.
- A quick look at Reference X
- Make a sticky note with excerpts of what you think you might need.
- Put them together and come up with a story.
- Write an explanation of how to solve the traveling salesman problem with a quantum computer.
- The former is a deliverable-type WBS and the latter is a procedure-type WBS
- If you have the extra capacity, you can make both and check them against each other to reduce omissions.
- In the above example, the procedure WBS is supposed to look at the reference material and think about the story, but the deliverables WBS has a tree that assumes that the story has already been decided, which is strange.
- Example
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The purpose of creating a WBS is not to divide tasks.
- The goal is to be able to perform a task, and the task is divided as a means to achieve this goal.
- So once you get to a size where you can execute it, you don’t have to divide it any further.
- The more detailed the division, the higher the management cost. It is necessary to master this sense of balance.
Notes before ----- summary: -----
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Task division skills improve as you repeatedly create a WBS.
- Typical patterns are clarified → WBS standard
- By referring to it, oversight and lack of development can be avoided.
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Able to clarify the scope of work
- What is written is what you do, what is not written is what you don’t do.
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trick
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Make it with the intention of asking someone else to do it for you.
- I’m a stranger tomorrow.
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(1) >The only advantage Excel has over project management tools is its initial ease of use.
- When the number of cases exceeds 100, it becomes unmanageable.
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Writing Method
- Approx. 100 pieces
- Vague task titles are not good.
- Detail down to about the title of the document that will be the output.
- Structure elemental deliverables (what you make) as a guide
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At first, we are not aware of deadlines.
- Adjustments are made only after the ideal plan is in place, ignoring deadlines.
- There is no way the ideal plan will meet the deadline.
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Proper attention to dependencies.
- Do not optimize anything but the critical path
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Clarify who is in charge
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Progress is measured by deliverables, not time frames.
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WBS is not built by one person.
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WBS detailed to a level that works effectively is information overload for the customer
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WBS consists of levels and elements
- 100% rule: all child elements add up to equal the parent element
- Check to see if there are any leftovers.
- 100% rule: all child elements add up to equal the parent element
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There are two patterns of elemental decomposition: decomposition into objects and decomposition into work.
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The leaves are called work packages.
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8/80 rule: break down into elements until the work package is approximately 8 hours or more, but no more than 80 hours.
- One day to two weeks, that is.
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7 x 7 rule: The number of child elements hanging from one parent element is limited to about 7, and the overall WBS level is limited to about 7 levels.
- The first level is one at the top level, so with 7 child elements and up to 7 levels, we can get to 117649 terminations.
- Personally, I think adding a limit on the number of pieces is a streak evil, but it’s practically a limit.
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Work decomposition type WBS
- A WBS of all the work required for the project
- Also called project scope
- Phase → task → work procedure… and it becomes a work manual style.
- Easy to drop into schedule
- The conditions for the completion of each task are unclear.
- Different people have different images of the scope of work and
- Risky to use a work breakdown WBS in a lump sum contract.
- Potential to overlook necessary deliverables.
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Outcome-decomposed WBS
- A WBS of all deliverables that are essential to complete
- Also called product scope
- Scope of responsibility is clarified.
- Image of physical manufacturing divided into parts
- WBS Workshop, published by PMI.
- Recommended because it is easier to define the scope of responsibility and the conditions under which the work will be completed.
- Need to know deliverables in advance.
- May overlook work needed for intermediate products
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hybrid
- Create both a work decomposition WBS and a deliverable decomposition WBS
- Compare in order from the top level and check for omissions
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WBS is a tool for improving the efficiency of routine work
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About 10% of non-routine work
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Efficiency by making 90% of the work routine.
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Problems with [to-do list
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Checks for omissions do not work.
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Information that was in your working memory when you wrote it is lost, and you lose the details of the task.
- What are we doing this for?”
- What exactly are we doing?”
- Act as if notes for specific tasks are independent tasks
- That would make me unmotivated.
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TODO lists are suitable for small tasks with no dependencies between lines, where one line completes one task.
- Not suitable for “projects” that consist of multiple tasks or are large enough to span multiple days
- WBS handles it in a tree format.
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Rule: Make it top-down.
- why？
- Is it true that “bottom-up” means leakage?
- Even top-down, you’re going to get leaks.
- People make mistakes even when they intend to be MECE.
- Wouldn’t it be more harmful to do it top-down and think “it’s top-down, so there are no leaks”?
- rebuttal
- The importance of having both top-down and bottom-up perspectives Theory
- List as many as you can think of, then organize them into a tree after the fact.
- Note that the deliverable and work perspectives are mixed when created in a bottom-up manner.
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Save the WBS you created for reuse.
- Gantt chart
- Create in parallel with WBS of procedures and WBS of deliverables
- Sticky only work packages.
- Thinking side by side according to dependencies, etc.
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First, get the big picture.
- With two WBS
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Next, fill in from the hips.
- Parable of the Dishwasher
- After you start washing dishes, you realize there is no place to put them.
- First we should think “let’s wash the dishes”, “washing the dishes means wetting, scrubbing, and dusting”, and “there is no place to dust”.
- If you fill in from the deadline and the critical path is not met, that’s not possible.
- Non-critical may be done at any time within the constraints
- Not all tasks need to specify start and end dates and times
- Estimates of duration should be clearly stated.
- Train your own estimating skills by seeing how the final estimate deviated.
- Parable of the Dishwasher
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References
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