Work Breakdown Structures

<b>Understand and apply new concepts regarding Work Breakdown Structures</b> <p>The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) has emerged as a foundational concept and tool in Project Management. It is an enabler that ensures clear definition and communication of project scope while performing a critical role as a monitoring and controlling tool. Created by the three experts who led the development of PMI®’s <i>Practice Standard for Work Breakdown Structures</i>, Second Edition, this much-needed text expands on what the standard covers and describes how to go about successfully implementing the WBS within the project life cycle, from initiation and planning through project closeout.</p> <p>Filling the gap in the literature on the WBS, <i>Work Breakdown Structures: The Foundation for Project Management Excellence</i> gives the reader an understanding of:</p> <ul> <li>The background and key concepts of the WBS</li> <li>WBS core characteristics, decomposition, representations, and tools</li> <li>Project initiation and the WBS, including contracts, agreements, and Statements of Work (SOW)</li> <li>Deliverable-based and activity-based management</li> <li>Using the WBS as a basis for procurement and financial planning</li> <li>Quality, risk, resource, and communication planning with the WBS</li> <li>The WBS in the executing, monitoring, and controlling phases</li> <li>New concepts regarding the representation of project and program scope</li> <li>Verifying project closeout with the WBS</li> </ul> <p>Using a real-life project as an example throughout the book, the authors show how the WBS first serves to document and collect information during the initiating and planning phases of a project. Then, during the executing phase, the authors demonstrate how the WBS transitions to an active role of project decision-support, serving as a reference and a source for control and measurement.</p> <p>(PMI is a registered mark of Project Management Institute, Inc.)</p>