How do you monitor and control your project progress and performance using your WBS?
A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool that helps you plan and organize your project into manageable chunks. But how do you use it to monitor and control your project progress and performance? In this article, you'll learn how to apply some best practices and techniques to track and improve your project outcomes using your WBS.
The first step is to define your WBS scope baseline, which is the approved version of your WBS that serves as a reference point for measuring your project performance. Your WBS scope baseline should include the scope statement, the WBS itself, and the WBS dictionary. The scope statement describes the project objectives, deliverables, assumptions, and constraints. The WBS breaks down the project into work packages and deliverables. The WBS dictionary provides detailed information about each work package, such as the assigned resources, cost estimates, duration estimates, and quality requirements.
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Define a storyline based on the STAR approach - Situation, Task, Action, Result. Ensure that each planned deliverable consistently meets the storyline Breakdown each work package into individual deliverables that can be performed by a single person and begin assigning performers and reviewers for each work package.
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Firstly, I regularly track actual progress against planned activities outlined in the WBS to identify any deviations or variances. This allows for timely adjustments to be made to keep the project on track. Additionally, I use the WBS to monitor resource utilization and costs, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and within budget. By comparing actual performance to the WBS, I can identify areas where additional support or adjustments may be needed to maintain project momentum and achieve objectives.
The second step is to use earned value management (EVM), which is a method that integrates scope, time, and cost data to measure your project performance and progress. EVM uses three key metrics: planned value (PV), earned value (EV), and actual cost (AC). PV is the budgeted amount of work that should have been completed by a given date. EV is the value of the work that has been completed by a given date. AC is the actual amount of money spent on the work that has been completed by a given date. By comparing these metrics, you can calculate the schedule variance (SV), cost variance (CV), schedule performance index (SPI), and cost performance index (CPI). These indicators show you whether your project is ahead or behind schedule, and over or under budget.
The third step is to update your WBS regularly, as your project progresses and changes occur. Your WBS is not a static document, but a dynamic one that reflects the current state of your project. You should review your WBS periodically and make adjustments as needed, based on the feedback from your stakeholders, the changes in your scope, the risks and issues that arise, and the lessons learned from your previous phases. Updating your WBS will help you maintain alignment with your project goals, avoid scope creep, and communicate effectively with your team and stakeholders.
The fourth step is to use a WBS software tool, which can help you create, manage, and update your WBS more efficiently and effectively. Such a tool can provide a graphical interface to visualize the WBS in different formats, a drag-and-drop functionality to rearrange, add, or delete work packages and deliverables, a linking capability to connect the WBS with other project documents, and a reporting capability to generate reports and dashboards based on your WBS data. All of these features can help you gain valuable insights into the project status, performance, and progress.
The fifth step in creating a WBS is to involve your team and stakeholders in its review and update. This is essential since they are the ones who will execute, monitor, and control the work packages and deliverables. Involving them in the process can ensure the accuracy, realism, and comprehensiveness of the WBS. Furthermore, it can increase their commitment to their work, improve collaboration and communication across the project, and enhance their motivation and satisfaction with the project.
The sixth step of the WBS process is to review and improve it as part of a continuous improvement cycle. This is not a one-time activity, but rather an ongoing process that requires evaluation and refinement. Collect feedback from team members and stakeholders, measure the results and benefits of the WBS process, identify its strengths and weaknesses, and implement changes and improvements as needed. By doing this, you can ensure that your WBS process is aligned with project objectives, scope, and requirements; consistent with best practices and standards of your organization and industry; and adding value to project performance and progress.
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