Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a visual, hierarchical, and result-oriented deconstruction of a project. This is a useful diagram for project managers as it allows them to go back to the final result of the project and determine all the actions necessary for the success of the project.
All stages of a project are presented in a work breakdown block diagram, making it an essential project management tool for planning and scheduling. The final result is based on a chart, and the levels below subdivide the scope of the project to indicate the phases, deliverables, and tasks required to complete the project.
Project managers use project management software to define and execute work breakdown structures. When used in conjunction with a Gantt chart that includes Work Breakdown Structure hierarchies, project management software can be especially effective for planning, scheduling, and executing projects.
What’s on the project schedule?
Project schedules are created during the planning phase of a project and are required to create a project plan that specifies the schedule plan, schedule reference, deliverables, and requirements. The project schedule is designed to guide the project team through the implementation phase.
Then, during the execution phase, the baseline of the schedule is compared to the actual progress of the project. The following goes into scheduling a project:
Practical results
Tasks
Start and end dates for tasks
Task dependencies
Project Schedule
Work packages
Task due date and project schedule
Budgets
Resource availability
Plan your risk analysis
Project schedule milestones
When creating a schedule, you can use the Project Schedule Template, which offers free sample project schedules and a project schedule spreadsheet. But the model can only take you so far. The project calendar is not just a standard calendar that works for every project – the planning process involves a variety of project planning methods and project management tools. In addition, each project has resources, timelines, scope information, and other unique variables that must be considered in a schedule management plan.
With project management software, the calendar integrates with other project management tools such as Gantt charts, dashboards and reports for tracking progress, and Kanban boards for managing workflows. Whichever path you choose, here are the steps to create a project schedule:
Schedule your project
Determine who has authority over the calendar
Determine start and end dates for project activities and tasks.
Determine task dependencies
A sequence of actions and tasks in chronological order to create a project schedule.
Assess the resources needed and the availability of resources.
Determine the duration of activities and tasks
Schedule your project
Monitoring and control throughout the entire project life cycle
Estimate the duration of project tasks as accurately as possible in order to create a realistic schedule. This requires the use of various Requirements Engineering
Project managers can interview their team and other stakeholders for their views on the duration of specific tasks, and can refer to historical data from similar past projects.
