6 Work Breakdown Structure Examples for Project Managers

Creating a work breakdown structure is part of one of the earliest phases of project management that often gets overlooked: the project planning phase.

Below, I’ll define work breakdown structures, cover various types of WBS, outline some work breakdown structure examples, and discuss how to build a WBS with some great tools and resources.

What Is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)?

A project work breakdown structure (WBS) is a visual, hierarchical, and deliverable-oriented deconstruction of an entire project. It outlines the entire project plan all the way down to the lowest levels of project deliverables, and it’s one of many project planning techniques that successful project managers use.

Each WBS will be different based on the project scope and, of course, the project itself. In general, it will resemble a tree diagram, with the baseline overall project goal and branches of subtasks that go into a greater level of detail as you move further down.

A typical WBS will have the following project phases and milestones:

1. Project level: The highest level, representing the entire project and the scope statement for the project life cycle.   
2. Deliverable level: This level identifies major deliverables for the project and displays the most impactful components of the project as you work toward the overall project goal, especially for complex projects.
3. Work package level: This level branches deliverables out further into smaller work packages. Each work package is a self-contained unit of work with a defined scope, cost estimation, and timeline with clear dependencies showing what needs to be done before the next work package can be completed.   
4. Work task level (optional): This level may be optional based on the project scope, but work packages can be further broken down into individual tasks and activities to provide a granular level of detail for the entirety of the project schedule.

Types of Work Breakdown Structures

As discussed, many work breakdown structures can be generally lumped into one of a few different types of WBS systems. Whether created in Microsoft Excel or created using WBS software, every WBS will fall under one of these types with some variation based on visual representation and project management tools used.

1. Deliverable-based WBS: A deliverable-based WBS is by far the most common work breakdown structure. It breaks down each project into specific deliverables and then divides up tasks accordingly. These are useful for a wide range of projects. 
2. Phase-based WBS: A phase-based WBS is excellent for risk management and resource management heavy projects, such as software development. A phase-based WBS breaks down the project into phases with each phase then being broken down into tasks.
3. Process-oriented WBS: Less commonly used, this type of WBS breaks the project down into the processes used rather than the exact deliverables being produced. This is great for service-based industries that focus more on the service being provided than a specific end goal or product.
4. Responsibility-based WBS: This type of WBS is used in the most complex projects with multiple stakeholders, departments, or businesses involved. It divides the project up into sections based on who is responsible for completing that portion of the overall project.

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Work Breakdown Structure Examples

Here are some work breakdown structure examples for different industries and project types.

1. Construction Project WBS Example

In this work breakdown structure example, the construction project is broken down into specific deliverables in a branching flowchart for each phase of the project. This is an example of a phase-based WBS—it’s broken down by phase, but it also considers both the allocation of resources and project deliverables based on the project scope.

This WBS example clearly defines what steps need to be completed in one phase of the project before the next phase can begin. It’s an easy way to see the flow of a construction project at a glance.

2. IT Project WBS Example

This IT or software development-based work breakdown structure example falls into a category between a phase-based WBS and a responsibility-based WBS. Each column represents a particular team that will tackle specific tasks towards the goal of the overall project.

This type of WBS works well with a Gantt chart to keep things organized—you can track each team, what deliverables they are working on, and the timeframe so everyone stays on track. You can also easily see potential bottlenecks and roadblocks that could occur if one team’s tasks can’t be started until another team’s tasks are complete. This way, you can plan to mitigate those bottlenecks or dependencies in advance.

3. Marketing Campaign WBS Example

This marketing campaign work breakdown structure example is another example of a phase-based WBS, but it’s also partly a process-oriented WBS.

The high level work packages are concerned with the phases, but each is broken down into processes that need to be completed within that phase. This can help with managing metrics and setting expectations as well, as long as the processes are clearly defined and the team is following them.

4. Event Planning WBS Example

This event planning work breakdown structure is a great example of a deliverable-based WBS, as it shows what tasks need accomplished in order to successfully plan and host the event.

While event planning can be done with a small team, some events may require working with more and more project team members. Consider what resources you’ll need to make sure all the work gets completed on time, and that you don’t have too many or too few team members (so no one is underworked or overwhelmed).

5. Healthcare WBS Example

This work breakdown structure example for a healthcare-related project takes a phase-based and deliverables-based approach. It’s also worth noting that they’ve separated the project into two work breakdown structures, which is useful for projects that run over longer timespans.

6. Product Development WBS Example

This work breakdown structure example for a product development project is a phase-oriented WBS. Each phase of the project is then broken down into specific product deliverables that need to be completed within that phase (e.g. in the marketing phase, the team will produce a market strategy, a marketing plan, and all marketing collateral). 

How To Create a Work Breakdown Structure

Follow this simple task list to build a WBS for your project.

1. Identify project deliverables.
2. Break down the deliverables into work packages.
3. Realign tasks into a sequence for when the activity should be completed.
4. Refine your estimates to make sure that you’ve assigned a level of effort to each task in your WBS.
5. Schedule the tasks based on the sequence and expected level of effort.
6. Review project staffing to make sure that you have a realistic plan based on the resources that are available.
7. Review the completed plan with your team to gain buy-in.

Here are some more pro tips to follow as you create your WBS:

• Create a WBS dictionary: A WBS dictionary is formatted like the hierarchical structure, but it includes a brief description of each work package. This helps to clarify the scope of each task so that all team members understand their responsibilities.
• Consider the 8/80 rule: Work packages should take no less than 8 hours and no more than 80 hours of effort.
• Use the 100% rule: Make sure the WBS includes 100% of the work needed to complete the project, with no extraneous or unrelated work. Child tasks at any level must account for 100% of the work required to complete the parent task.
• Focus on outcomes, not actions: Concentrate on deliverables and results instead of specific actions. For example, focus on "the braking system" rather than "calibrate the brake pads".
• Avoid making assumptions: Proceeding with assumptions instead of verified data can set the project up to fail. Avoid making assumptions and make sure all data is accurate and complete.
• Do NOT ignore feedback: Failing to review the WBS with the team and stakeholders to get their feedback and buy-in can lead to issues with task estimates and overall execution. Make sure that the project team agrees with the task estimates in the WBS to promote alignment and accountability.

Tools for Creating a Work Breakdown Structure

There are also a great number of tools, templates, and software that can be used to make your life so much easier as you work on your WBS. You can also find our work breakdown structure template in our template library (for members only!)

Below is my list of the best resource management software tools that can help you break your project down and resource it sufficiently:

1. 1. Scoro — Best for forecasting team utilization
2. 2. Float — Best for intuitive resource management
3. 3. Kantata — Best for real-time resource utilization
4. 4. Productive — Best resource planning and capacity forecasting
5. 5. Resource Guru — Best for hassle-free resource booking
6. 6. Wrike — Best for scalability
7. 7. Bonsai Agency Software — Best for workload optimization
8. 8. monday.com — Best for simple workload planning
9. 9. Hub Planner — Best for midsize and large companies
10. 10. Acuity PPM — Best for project portfolio resource management

What’s Next?

If you have more burning questions about making the best work breakdown structure possible for your project, then join the DPM membership community to get access to other digital project managers, share resources, and download 100+ templates, samples, and examples.