How do you use WBS to estimate project duration and cost? (2024)

Key takeaways from this article

• Break down deliverables:

  Incorporate a work breakdown structure (WBS) to dissect your project into bite-sized, manageable pieces. It makes estimating costs and durations more precise, and you can keep tabs on progress easily.

• Prevent scope creep:

  Set clear boundaries for your project's scope using a WBS. This helps you dodge the trap of "scope creep" where tasks multiply, saving time and keeping budgets in check. Stay focused on what's essential.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

• Joseph Bryan Juarez Quantity Surveyor, Estimator, Cost…
• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil…

• Amardev Mutiwi Tomorrow’s Leaders Representative Sub Saharan Africa | Jnr Quantity Surveyor

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  The WBS breaks your project into manageable units, each with defined deliverables, durations, and costs. This clarity aids in prioritizing tasks effectively. This facilitates enhanced estimation, allowing you to create reliable duration and cost estimates by analysing each work package individually, ensuring a solid foundation for your project plan. With a clear overview, you can allocate resources more strategically, optimizing your budget and ensuring efficient use of assets. The WBS supports proactive management of changes and risks, helping to identify potential issues early on.Also, you can monitor your project’s progress by comparing actual expenditures against estimates through tools like Gantt charts or earned value analysis.

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  Using a WBS facilitates more accurate and efficient estimation of project duration and cost. It organises project tasks into manageable units with defined deliverables, durations, and costs, aiding in task prioritisation, resource allocation, and budget optimization. Additionally, it assists in managing changes and risks, tracking actual expenditure against estimates, implementing corrective actions, and communicating performance indicators through tools like Gantt charts, earned value analysis, or dashboards.

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  A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a fundamental tool in project management. It breaks down a project into a hierarchical structure of deliverables and tasks. Essentially, it allows you to take a top-down view of your project, dissecting it into manageable components. Each level of the WBS represents progressively detailed tasks and subtasks.

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• Ahmed Orban QS and Commercial Team Leader at Rowad Modern Engineering with expertise in Landscape Projects

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  The WBS is structured in a hierarchical manner, with the project scope breaking down into progressively smaller and more detailed levels. The top level represents the entire project, while subsequent levels break down the project into major deliverables, sub-deliverables, work packages, and individual tasks.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team. It organizes and defines the total scope of the project, breaking it down into smaller, more manageable components.

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• Joseph Bryan Juarez Quantity Surveyor, Estimator, Cost Engineer, Civil Engineer, BScCE, MPICQS

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  The WBS structure should capture the scope as per the base budget and then align the task and resources to the Planning schedule. The WBS in my opinion should also include the milestone payment of the project as a separate task.

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• Greg Jacobs MRICS Helping to deliver projects through transparency, collaboration and understanding. Proud Father to 4 boys!

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  Primarily a WBS should be used to identify specific area or groups of items that have specific importance to cost or schedule. In order to create a WBS, planning with stakeholders like engineering, finance, and construction is of paramount importance.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  Creating a WBS involves several steps:*Identify the major deliverables or project objectives.*Decompose these deliverables into smaller, more manageable tasks or work packages.*Continue breaking down the work packages into smaller components until they are easily understandable and assignable to a specific team or individual.*Assign unique identifiers to each work package for easy tracking and reference.*Organize the work packages in a hierarchical structure, typically using a tree diagram format.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

  (edited)

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  Creating a WBS involves several steps:1. Define the Project Scope: Clearly understand and document the project’s objectives, deliverables, and boundaries.2. Identify Major Deliverables: Break the project into major deliverables or phases.3. Decompose Deliverables: Break down each major deliverable into smaller, manageable components until you reach a level of detail suitable for estimating and managing.4. Assign Codes: Assign unique codes or numbers to each element to facilitate tracking and referencing.5. Verify and Validate: Ensure that the WBS captures all work required for the project and that there is no unnecessary work included.

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  List High-Level Deliverables: Begin by identifying the high-level deliverables for your project. These are the major outcomes or results you need to achieve. For example, if you’re building a new website, your deliverables might include sitemap creation, wireframes, page designs, front-end code, and back-end code.Break Down Deliverables: Once you have your high-level deliverables, break them down further into major categories. For instance, under “page designs,” you might have subcategories like home page, product page, and contact page.

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• Greg Jacobs MRICS Helping to deliver projects through transparency, collaboration and understanding. Proud Father to 4 boys!

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  A WBS per se is not used to estimate cost or duration. Your WBS is typically a used by to organize costs into particular buckets that have a particular interest. This might be used for benchmarking purposes or could be used to help a CM or PM to cost load a schedule if so desired.

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  Estimate Size and Duration: With your WBS in place, estimate the size and duration of each activity. You can use techniques like Wideband Delphi or analogy to arrive at these estimates. Consider using smaller tasks (not exceeding 8 hours) for accurate estimation.Cost Estimation: Assign costs to each activity based on resource rates (e.g., hourly rates for developers, designers, etc.). Sum up the costs for all activities to get an overall project cost estimate.Duration Estimation: Estimate the time required for each activity. Consider dependencies between tasks (some tasks may need to be completed before others). Sum up the durations to get the overall project duration estimate.

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• Ahmed Orban QS and Commercial Team Leader at Rowad Modern Engineering with expertise in Landscape Projects

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  Estimate Task Durations: For each work package, estimate the time required to complete the task. Consider factors such as the complexity of the task, resources available, dependencies, and any known constraints. Use historical data, expert judgment, and input from team members to derive accurate estimates.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  Estimating Duration: By breaking down the project into smaller tasks or work packages, it becomes easier to estimate the time required to complete each task. This allows for more accurate scheduling and sequencing of activities, leading to a more realistic project timeline.Estimating Cost: With a well-defined WBS, each work package can be associated with specific resources, materials, and costs. By estimating the resources required for each work package and summing them up, an overall project cost estimate can be derived. This facilitates budgeting and cost control throughout the project lifecycle.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  >Estimating Project Duration:1. Identify Tasks: 2. Estimate Task Durations: Estimate the time required to complete each task. Use historical data, expert judgment, and analogous estimation techniques.3. Create a Schedule: Integrate all task durations and dependencies into a project schedule (e.g., using a Gantt chart or critical path method).>Estimating Project Cost:1.Identify Cost Elements: For each task in the WBS, identify all cost elements, including labor, materials, equipment, and overhead.2. Estimate Costs: Estimate the cost for each element. Use historical data, vendor quotes, and expert judgment.3. Add Contingencies: Include contingencies for risk and uncertainty to ensure a realistic budget.

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  Clarity: A well-structured WBS provides clarity on project scope and tasks.Granularity: It allows you to focus on specific work packages.Budget Control: By estimating costs at the task level, you can manage the budget effectively.Schedule Guidance: WBS guides schedule development and control.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

  (edited)

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  Clarity: Provides a clear and structured breakdown of project scope, facilitating better understanding and communication among project stakeholders.Control: Enables effective monitoring and control of project activities, resources, and costs at a granular level.Resource Allocation: Helps in efficient resource allocation by identifying resource requirements for each work package.Risk Management: Enhances risk identification and management by identifying potential areas of concern within the project scope.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  1. Improved Project Planning: Provides a clear and detailed framework for planning and organizing the project.2. Enhanced Communication: Facilitates communication among stakeholders by providing a common understanding of the project scope and deliverables.3. Better Resource Allocation: Helps in identifying resource requirements and allocating them effectively.4. Improved Cost Estimation and Control: Breaks down costs into manageable components, making it easier to estimate and control the budget.5. Risk Management: Identifies potential risks at a granular level, allowing for better risk management and mitigation strategies.6. Progress Tracking: Enables monitoring of progress and performance against the project plan.

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• Ahmed Orban QS and Commercial Team Leader at Rowad Modern Engineering with expertise in Landscape Projects

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  The WBS is a powerful tool that enhances project management by providing clarity, structure, and control over the project scope. It supports effective planning, resource allocation, cost estimation, progress tracking, and risk management, contributing to project success and stakeholder satisfaction.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  1. Initial Time Investment: Creating a detailed WBS can be time-consuming and requires significant initial effort.2. Complexity Management: Large projects can result in a very complex WBS, making it difficult to manage and maintain.3. Scope Creep: If not properly controlled, the WBS can lead to scope creep by including unnecessary tasks or deliverables.4. Maintaining Accuracy: Ensuring the WBS remains accurate and up-to-date throughout the project lifecycle can be challenging.5. Stakeholder Buy-In: Achieving consensus and buy-in from all stakeholders can be difficult, especially if they have differing perspectives on the project scope and deliverables.

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• Ahmed Orban QS and Commercial Team Leader at Rowad Modern Engineering with expertise in Landscape Projects

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  one of the most challenges of using a WBS is Decomposition Complexity: Breaking down project deliverables into smaller work packages requires careful consideration and analysis. Some deliverables may be complex and have multiple interdependencies, making it challenging to decompose them into manageable components. Determining the appropriate level of decomposition can be subjective and may require experienced judgment.

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• Greg Jacobs MRICS Helping to deliver projects through transparency, collaboration and understanding. Proud Father to 4 boys!

  (edited)

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  A WBS has its faults rooted in who is using it and how they assume it needs to be implemented. Unless you have a robust amount of oversight it’s easy to mix things up or assign costs and work packages into the incorrect WBS.

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• Chandhu Sujatha Graduate Quantity Surveyor (Civil Engr.) at Pennon Group PLC, UK [MSc in Quantity Surveying I MSc in Structural Engineering I BSc in Civil Engineering ]

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  Scope Creep: Without proper control, the WBS may expand beyond the original scope, leading to scope creep.Complexity: Developing and maintaining a detailed WBS can be time-consuming and complex, especially for large and complex projects.Resistance to Change: Some team members may resist changes to the WBS structure, leading to potential conflicts.Integration Issues: Ensuring alignment between the WBS and other project management tools and processes can be challenging.

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  Complexity: Creating a detailed WBS can be time-consuming.Maintenance: Keeping the WBS up-to-date as the project evolves requires effort.Scope Creep: If new deliverables emerge, they must be integrated into the WBS.

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• Owen McDevitt Quantity Surveying Services

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  Candy CCS has perfect link from b of q to programmeWork activitiesLab plant mat histogramnesPlus good cash flow.Programme shows critical path and all information necessary.

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  A WBS can be structured based on nature of project, driving activities, locations (work sections), work sequences, work disciplines, responsible teams, requirements, and so on. The WBS should be well-planned, and the best possible breakdown to manage a project in the most efficient way should be built up. A couple of examples: Option 1 (work disciplines: horizontal packages):- Electrical Works: * Location A * Location B * ...- Mechanical Works: * Location A * Location B * ...- ...Option 2 (locations / sections: vertical packages):- Location A: * Electrical * Mechanical * ...- Location B: * Electrical * Mechanical * ...- ...More WBS scenarios are possible. A QS to find the most efficient one.

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  Primavera is the best software for this. Is there any AI software that can do this?Would love to know any other suggestions. Chirag

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