Project Management for Non-Project Managers - Determining the Work that Needs to be Done

Overview:

This webinar will walk the participant through the entire process of decomposing a project's tasks into workable schedulable elements called work packages.

Decomposing a task is not a trivial or intuitive process. It is something that must be explained and practiced to get it right. When developing a WBS:

• Get your team together to identify the deliverables and sub-deliverables of the project. This would include the project managers and the subject matter experts.
• Gather the necessary documents such as the project charter, project scope statement, and project scope management plan.
• Identify the key deliverables of the project. Key deliverables are essential to the completion of the project and they will be carried out by independent teams.
• With the help of subject matter experts, break the key deliverables into smaller parts - identify the work that is necessary to complete each deliverable.
• Create a WBS dictionary which is a document that includes the definition and the scope of the different elements in your work breakdown structure.
• Once the WBS is complete, it is shared with the team. A creative work breakdown structure can be quickly shared with the rest of the team - once shared, collaboration can be commenced in real-time.

Why you should Attend:

The work breakdown structure is the most important aspect of the project management process. If you get the work breakdown structure wrong, you get the rest of your project planning wrong - wrong enough to jeopardize the success of your project. Building the WBS is also important because:

• The Work Breakdown Structure (WBSs) helps organize the activities required to meet the objectives of the project
• It breaks projects into work packages that can be organized, assigned, measured, and tracked
• It ensures all project tasks are accounted for

The WBS is the basis for assigning resources and determining roles and responsibilities. It is also the basis for communicating detailed information on project status and is the basis for monitoring and control.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• What is the work breakdown structure and why is it important?
• What is a task, a sub-task, and a work package?
• How is the WBS developed?
• How is the WBS displayed?
• The relationship between the WBS and the network diagram
• Assigning duration estimates to your work packages

Who Will Benefit:

• Any Member of a cross-functional project team that has the potential opportunity to lead that project
• Engineers
• Marketing Associates
• Product Managers
• Program Managers
• Contract Managers
• Project Managers
• Research & Development Associates, Managers, and Directors
• Design Engineers
• Manufacturing Managers