Our orders are delivered strictly on time without delay
Our orders are delivered strictly on time without delay
As the project manager for ILS, several of your project team members do not comprehend the value of a WBS to manage the Logistics Services Improvement Project. Assess the importance of the WBS. Explain your assessment of the WBS to your project team, using an audio-narrated presentation containing three PowerPoint slides. (I will do the audio).
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is not just a bureaucratic document; it is the single most important deliverable that defines our project and enables us to deliver value. If we don't define the work properly, we cannot manage it.
Defines 100% of Scope: The WBS is the only project document that comprehensively defines all deliverables, internal and external, required for the Logistics Services Improvement Project. It ensures the "whole" project is accounted for.
revents Scope Creep: By clearly breaking down the work into manageable pieces, the WBS establishes a baseline. Any work not included in this structure is officially Out of Scope, providing a clear mechanism to control changes.
Common Understanding: It forces a consensus among all stakeholders—you, the customer, and management—on exactly what we are building and delivering. No WBS means no shared understanding of the final product.
The WBS takes the high-level project objective ("Logistics Services Improvement") and breaks it down into smaller, verifiable components called Work Packages. This is the key to effective management.
The "Noun" Focus: The WBS focuses on deliverables (the "what") rather than actions (the "how"). For instance, it lists "New Inventory System Documentation," not "Coding the System."
Manageable Size: The lowest level, the Work Package, is small enough to be easily estimated in terms of duration and cost, and easily assigned to a single team member or group. This is where we assign accountability.
Facilitates Scheduling: The Work Packages are the direct inputs for creating our project schedule (Gantt chart). Without the WBS, we are guessing at task duration and dependencies.