Why wbs is important

It clearly defines what is included, and what is not included, in your project scope and deliverables. Establishing this early on is very helpful in client interactions. It prevents a lot of misunderstandings and results in much happier clients. The WBS lays the ground work for accurate project costing. A detailed WBS helps carry out bottom-up project costing and estimating. And bottom-up estimating is the most accurate estimating method.

Inaccurate estimating, particularly if it leads to cost overruns, causes conflict with clients. A well-defined WBS, which contributes to accurate estimating, again leads to satisfied clients. An accurate Project Schedule can only be developed after a comprehensive WBS, which includes all tasks, is generated.

Accurate scheduling increases the probability that your project will be completed on time and meet client delivery dates. A well-defined WBS reduces the risk of projects failing to meet goals and objectives. Because it identifies all tasks required to complete the project, the WBS reduces the potential for conflict on what is and is not included in the project, reduces the likelihood that key work will be omitted, and allows forward planning to ensure adequate resources will be on hand to complete project tasks.

The WBS can be used to manage outsourced service providers as well as internal project team members. An effective WBS means project tasks can be delegated and managed. Because the work is properly defined, it can be scheduled, costed, implemented, monitored and controlled.

The benefits of creating a WBS include: it defines and organizes the work required it facilitates the quick development of a schedule by allocating effort estimates to specific sections of the WBS it can be used to identify potential scope risks if it has a branch that is not well defined it provides a visual of entire scope it can be used to identify communication points it provides a visual of impacts when deliverables are falling behind it can be used to show and assign accountabilities and responsibilities it can show control points and milestones it provides a way to estimates project costs it ensures no important deliverables are forgotten it can assist with resource allocation it provides a proven and repeatable approach to planning projects it provides a tool for team brainstorming and collaboration it provides an opportunity to engage the team and make them feel invested in the planning.

Ist project management office. University of Waterloo. As you see, WBS is at the heart of the many critical activities in a project. Since WBS Project Management shows the project deliverables and work that needs to be completed in a project, it actually guides the project team on what needs to be done in an organized manner.

By this way, unnecessary work or anything not directly in the project scope is eliminated. And this way, it helps the team to focus on the project scope only.