Building a Project Work Breakdown Structure: Visualizing Objectives, Deliverables, Activities, and Schedules

264 Pages·2008·8.9 MB·English

by  Dennis P. Miller

BUILDING A PROJECT WORK
BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
VISUALIZING OBJECTIVES, DELIVERABLES,
ACTIVITIES, AND SCHEDULES
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ESI International Project Management Series
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Ricardo Viana Vargas
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Determining Project Requirements
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A Standard for Enterprise Project Management
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Building a Project Work Breakdown Structure: Visualizing Objectives,
Deliverables, Activities, and Schedules
Dennis P. Miller
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BUILDING A PROJECT WORK
BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
VISUALIZING OBJECTIVES, DELIVERABLES,
ACTIVITIES, AND SCHEDULES
DENNIS P. MILLER
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
AN AUERBACH BOOK
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
Miller, Dennis P.
Building a project work breakdown structure : visualizing objectives,
deliverables, activities, and schedules / Dennis P. Miller.
p. cm. ‑‑ (ESI international project management series ; 5)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978‑1‑4200‑6969‑3 (hbk. : alk. paper) 1. Project management. 2. Work
breakdown structure. I. Title.
HD69.P75M536 2008
658.4’04‑‑dc22 2008014116
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Dedication
To my wife, Sharon.
Her support has always been the main drive in my life.
Dennis Miller

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Contents
List of Figures ...............................................................................................xv
Preface: Why, How, and What I Developed .................................................xxi
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................xxv
About the Author ......................................................................................xxvii
Opening .....................................................................................................xxix
SECTION I: PrEPLaNNINg aCTIvITIES aND ISSuES
1 Preplanning Issues ...................................................................................3
Opening Issues ...............................................................................................3
Issue: Do Not Ask if You Do Not Plan to Use! ..........................................3
Issue: Your Personal Management Style .....................................................4
Issue: How Important Is the Project to Your Organization? .......................4
Issue: Write Your Management Style into Your
Project Charter ......................................................................................4
Issue: Will Your Organization Accept Results? ..........................................5
Issue: Can You Pull This Off? ....................................................................6
2 Sources of Deliverables ............................................................................7
Project Deliverables ........................................................................................7
Requirements Document ...........................................................................7
Client’s Own Words...................................................................................8
Objective Statement Only ..........................................................................8
Your Planning Team ......................................................................................8
No Definition at All ...................................................................................8
3 Timing of Planning Session ...................................................................11
A Question of Timing ..................................................................................11
How Many Days? .........................................................................................11
How Many Hours per Day? .....................................................................12
ii
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iii  n  Contents
4 Specific Preparations ..............................................................................15
Communications .........................................................................................15
Personal Calendars .......................................................................................15
Planning Session Site ....................................................................................16
Handouts .....................................................................................................17
Supplies ........................................................................................................17
Break Materials ............................................................................................18
SECTION II: ExECuTINg THE EIgHT STEP PrOCESS
5 Step 1
Find the Project’s Deliverables ...............................................................23
Background ..................................................................................................23
Deliverable versus Activity Orientation ....................................................23
All Projects Have Physical Deliverables ....................................................24
The Best Source of Deliverables ...............................................................24
Expectations ............................................................................................24
Just-In-Time (JIT) Training ....................................................................25
Use the Client’s Words Only ................................................................25
Do Not Add Any Deliverables, Even If You Know They
Are Missing .........................................................................................25
Find the Deliverables — Nouns Only ......................................................25
Write Out the Post-Its® ............................................................................26
Let’s Practice: Step 1 ....................................................................................26
Hints........................................................................................................29
Many Documents ................................................................................29
Different Types (Colors) of Post-Its® ........................................................29
Do Not Be Concerned with Duplicates ...................................................30
A Good Method for Analyzing ................................................................30
Be as Neat as Possible ...............................................................................30
6 Step 2
Build and Review the Initial Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) ......31
Background (Build) .....................................................................................31
The Top Component of the WBS ............................................................31
JIT Training (Build) ....................................................................................33
The Initial Build of the PBS .....................................................................33
A PBS Can Have Different Depths (Level of Detail) ..............................34
Let’s Practice: Part One ................................................................................35
Build Your Working Surface ....................................................................36
Assemble the PBS.....................................................................................37
Hints (Build) ...........................................................................................39
Ready to Go? .......................................................................................39
PC Software or Not? ................................................................................39
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Contents  n  ix
Background (Review) ...................................................................................39
JIT Training (Review) .................................................................................40
Let’s Practice: Part Two ...............................................................................40
Hints (Review) .........................................................................................41
Upon Arrival .......................................................................................41
Objectives of the Presentation ..................................................................41
Play a Little Trick .....................................................................................41
Progress Reporting Style .........................................................................42
Other Display Techniques ......................................................................44
7 Step 3
Building Down the PBS .........................................................................45
Background ..................................................................................................45
JIT Training.................................................................................................45
Successive Decomposition ........................................................................45
A Question of Granularity ......................................................................46
Approaches for the Build-Down .............................................................46
Client’s Deliverables ................................................................................46
Process Deliverables ................................................................................46
Project Deliverables to the Fourth Level ..................................................47
Sources for More Detailed Deliverables ...................................................48
Exceptions ...............................................................................................48
Let’s Practice ........................................................................................48
Hints........................................................................................................49
The PBS Is a Work in Progress .................................................................50
Show Your Work: Leave It on Post-Its® ....................................................50
The Project Management Leg® ................................................................50
Issues/Problems/Risks ..............................................................................50
The Parking Lot .......................................................................................51
An Assumption ........................................................................................51
8 Step 4
Establishing the Activities ......................................................................53
Background ..................................................................................................53
Most Project Managers Start Here ...........................................................53
Their Time Is Yours .................................................................................53
Time Boxed .............................................................................................54
Are You Ready? ........................................................................................54
JIT Training ............................................................................................54
Establishing Your Authority and Delegating It ....................................54
Restate the Project’s Purpose ........................................................................55
How Much to Plan ..................................................................................55
Assembly Points .......................................................................................56
Gaining Team Buy-In ..............................................................................56
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