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Unit 3: Work Breakdown Structure

3.2.2 Bottom-up Approach Notes

Bottom-up approach is more like an organized brainstorming session used to build the WBS.
It works as follows.
The first steps are the same as those for the top-down approach. Namely, the entire planning
team agrees to the first-level breakdown. The planning team is then divided into as many
groups as there are first-level activities. Each group then makes a list of the activities that must
be completed in order to complete the first-level activity. To do this, they proceed as follows:
1. Someone in the group identifies an activity and announces it to the group. If the group
agrees, then the activity is written on a slip of paper and put in the middle of the table. The
process repeats itself until no new ideas are forthcoming.
2. The group then sorts the slips into activities that seem to be related to one another. This
grouping activity should help the planning team add missing activities or remove redundant
ones.
3. Once the team is satisfied it has completed the activity list for the first-level breakdown,
the members are finished. Each group then reports to the entire planning team the results
of its work.
4. Final critiques are given, missing activities added, and redundant activities removed.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

1. It is at the lowest activity level of WBS that we will estimate effort, ………………. , and
resource requirements.
2. The best way to generate the WBS is as part of the ………………………… session.

3. The project activities have been defined using the ………………. approach.
4. Continue with similar appointments until the WBS is ………………….
5. The team approach is better than the ……………………. but it requires more time to
complete.
6. The planning team is then divided into as many groups as there are …………………..
activities.

7. Once the team is satisfied it has completed the activity list for the first-level breakdown,
the members are ………………...
8. The technique for generating the WBS will ……………….. even the most complex project
to a set of clearly defined activities.

3.3 Criteria to Test for Completeness in the WBS

Developing the WBS is the most critical part of the JPP. If we do this part right, the rest is
comparatively easy. How do you know that you’ve done this right? Each activity must possess
six characteristics to be considered complete—that is, completely decomposed. The six
characteristics are as follows:
 Status/completion is measurable.
 Start/end events are clearly defined.

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