Chapter 12

Work Breakdown Structures

Abstract

Work breakdown structure is a generic term for a number of different breakdown structures such as product breakdown structure (PBS) and cost breakdown structure (CBS); it can also have a specific meaning for work carried out on a product. These differences are discussed in detail, including the use of the CBS as a tool for estimating. Diagrams are provided which show the hierarchy of each breakdown structure. Also discussed is the organization breakdown structure (OBS) and its related responsibility matrix.

Keywords

Work breakdown structure (WBS); product breakdown structure (PBS); cost breakdown structure (CBS); organization breakdown structure (OBS); top-down estimating; responsibility matrix

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