PMGT5887 Chap.6 Microsoft Project Setup and the Work Breakdown Structure
Microsoft Project Setup and the Work Breakdown Structure
Week 6 begins the predictive half of the unit, and it starts with scope rather than software.
This chapter defines the work breakdown structure as the hierarchical decomposition of the project's total scope into deliverables and work packages, explains the 100% rule that makes project management itself part of the scope, and shows the three ways a WBS can be organised, by phases, by major deliverables or by subprojects, using a careers-fair example.
It lists what a WBS does for a project, from exposing gaps in requirements to starting the budget estimate, and the sequence that turns it into a schedule.
It then covers Microsoft Project itself: what it is for, the four stages of planning in it, how indenting tasks turns a WBS into an outline of summary tasks, the ribbon tabs, project options, start dates and calendars, and the difference between WBS codes and outline numbers that the homework asks you to explain. A careers-fair WBS and a photo-shoot WBS give two models to copy.
What this chapter covers
- 01
The work breakdown structure and its purpose
- 02
The 100% rule and work packages
- 03
Three ways to organise a WBS
- 04
From WBS to schedule
- 05
Planning a project in Microsoft Project
- 06
Ribbon tabs, options and calendars
- 07
WBS codes and outline numbers
Worked example · free
Building a WBS for a product photo shoot
- +1Level 1 is the project: 1 Product photo shoot.
- +1Level 2 deliverables: 1.1 Project management, 1.2 Studio and crew, 1.3 Products and styling, 1.4 Photographs, 1.5 Published images.
- +1Level 3 work packages, for example 1.2.1 Studio booking, 1.2.2 Crew contracts, 1.4.1 Shoot days, 1.4.2 Retouching, 1.5.1 Upload to the online store.
- +1The 100% rule is met because project management and publishing are included as well as the shoot itself.
Key terms
- Work Package
- The bottom level of a WBS, small enough to schedule, cost, monitor and control.
- 100% Rule
- The principle that a WBS includes all the work in the project scope, including project management.
- Summary Task
- A task in Microsoft Project that groups subtasks beneath it and rolls up their dates and totals.
- WBS Code
- An identifier for each WBS element, built from a code mask and editable, such as A.1 or A.99.
- Outline Number
- A number Microsoft Project shows for a task's position in the outline, such as 2.3.
Microsoft Project Setup and the Work Breakdown Structure FAQ
Why does the WBS include project management work?
Because of the 100% rule: the WBS must capture all the work in the scope, and planning, reporting and coordinating are work the project has to do and pay for.
How do I turn a WBS into tasks in Microsoft Project?
Type the elements into the Gantt Chart view, then indent lower-level items beneath their parents. Indenting turns the parent into a summary task, so the WBS becomes the outline of the schedule.
What file format does Microsoft Project use?
Microsoft Project saves its plans in its own proprietary .mpp format. Students download Project Professional through the University's Azure for Education portal, signing in with a university email address.
How many baselines can Microsoft Project keep?
Up to 11 separate baselines can be saved in one file, which lets a manager keep the originally approved plan while also recording later re-plans and comparing progress against either.
Why should the calendar be set before tasks are linked?
Working days, hours and holidays decide when every task can run. If the calendar is wrong, each linked task inherits the error, and the whole schedule stretches or shrinks without anyone changing a duration.
Assessment move
Build two WBS diagrams for the same project, one by phases and one by deliverables, and check both against the 100% rule. Open Microsoft Project and practise the set-up order: currency, start date, calendar and holidays, then tasks and indenting. Turn on WBS codes and outline numbers together, insert a task and watch which one changes. Write a two-sentence explanation of the difference you could give in a test.
Redo the homework exercise on the training project from start to finish without the solution file, then compare your finish date with the one in the solution. Any difference usually traces back to a calendar exception or a link you entered differently, which is exactly the kind of error a test scenario describes.
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