Chapter 4. Planning the project

Table of Contents

1. Create Work Breakdown Structure
2. Schedule tasks
3. Insert human and equipment resources
4. Add materials
5. Assign resources to tasks
6. Level resources (solve overallocations)
7. Add fixed costs for tasks

1. Create Work Breakdown Structure

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a decomposition of a project into smaller components (deliverables) covering the total scope of the project.

Starting with the project outcome, it has to be identified the major project deliverables. Step by step, the deliverables have to be decomposed into subdeliverables, until the activities necessary to create them can be defined. To insert a subdeliverable or an activity (task) right-click on the corresponding deliverable and select the Insert subtask command.

The tree structure of deliverables and subdeliverables can be also achieved by listing them one after another, consequently indenting and outdenting them as necessary by using the corresponding icons in the toolbar ( and ) or the commands in the right-click menu.

An usual tree structure looks like this:

If necessary, the elements can be moved up and down on the same level in the tree structure by using and commands.

To attach notes to the WBS elements, the Details window is available (right click on a task, Task details, or select it and click on icon).