The following is the WBS of a widely spread software project on the Internet. I believe many people have created similar WBS.
It is because of our ancestors, the ancestors of the ancestors with similar methods to Create WBS, ears and ears, we also developed the same habit.
This is a typical problematic WBS.
First, from the customer's point of view, from the first layer of decomposition elements, we cannot see what we want to deliver to the customer? You tell the customer that I want to deliver you a system design, and the customer is not allowed to jump off the building. Because the customer wants the OA system, financial system, mail system, data center, equipment, and system software.
From the implementation point of view, we are likely to purchase a ready-made email system, or outsource the email system to a company. Let's take a look at it first. If we outsource the email system, is this WBS inconvenient.
Third, we are deliverables oriented. What will be delivered during the project startup?
This is a typical case. Similarly, we have to make it miserable for WBS, which also leads us to be able to manage small projects and be helpless for large projects, because WBS was wrong at the beginning, don't be confused. I want to adjust this WBS to see if it is better.
This is not a perfect WBS, because I only get so much information from the above WBS, but this is a very good start and is conducive to constant discussions by the project management team, including discussions with customers, so as to continuously adjust.
From this WBS, we can clearly see the products and services we need to deliver.
I assume that the finance system will be purchased, the mail system will be re-developed after procurement, and the OA system will be re-developed. Some of these links have already been divided into the activity level, and some are still at the WBS work package level. If our project is based on this, we can proceed with the subsequent progress and Responsibility Assignment.