what are the benefits of the WBSList five and who will benef

what are the benefits of the WBS?List five, and who will benefit from it?

Solution

Benefits from the Work Breakdown Structure(WBS)

The work breakdown structure is widely considered by project managers as the foundation of project planning, if not the project itself. This is not surprising considering that there are a number of benefits that can be gained from implementing a clear, well-written, and well-assigned work breakdown structure.

Higher productivity

The work breakdown structure facilitates the effective identification of the skills sets required to complete the work that, in turn, facilitates the speedy determination of the right people for the job. It also facilitates the determination of the right number of people necessary for work completion.

With the right people and the right number of people on the job, the team members in particular and the team in general should be more productive. This can result in delivering the right deliverables at the right time and with the right costs, perhaps even exceed expectations.

Encourage accountability and transparency

The work breakdown structure provides for a level of detail that makes it easier for the project manager to hold his team members accountable and responsible for the completion of their tasks. This is also true for the team members in relation to the project manager’s own work performance – truly, a two-way street that also encourages more effective communication.

With a defined work breakdown structure, the team also enjoys a greater level of transparency. Everybody will know what everybody else should be doing and achieving at every phase of the project that, in turn, can be used to promote a sense of unity for a shared purpose.

Better cost and time calculations and tracking

The work breakdown structure allows for the allocation of time and cost estimates for all of the specific work packages (i.e., sections). Such estimates then facilitate a more realistic project schedule and budget that team members are more likely to follow, thus, boosting team morale.

As the project tasks are executed, the project manager as well as his team members and clients can then track the costs and expenses in relation to the allocations. Issues, concerns and problem areas can then be quickly identified and addressed before these become a source of delays in the project.

Better risk identification and minimization

The work breakdown structure can also be utilized in the identification and minimization of the threats posed by risks. Keep in mind that risks in projects cannot be totally eliminated but these can be significantly minimized so that these pose little to no danger to the team’s on-time accomplishment of goals.

The risks are usually tracked in a project log, reviewed during project execution, and minimized when necessary. The best way to identify risks is to look at all of the branches in a work breakdown structure and then identify a branch with less than defined parameters; it represents a risk to the scope definition and, hence, to the project.

Better progress monitoring

The work breakdown structure can also be used to easily and quickly identify the major deliverables affected by delays in any of the specific work packages or sub-deliverables. The faster the source of the delays and the impact on the deliverables can be identified, the faster the appropriate action can be made so as to avert a project crisis, perhaps even a project cessation.

Since the project can be better monitored, the team members are also more likely to be committed and motivated to do their jobs according to the parameters. Plus, their active participation in the formulation, implementation and evaluation of the work breakdown structure also encourages deeper motivation and, thus, better performance.