Work Breakdown Structure Template
Scope projects and keep track of all the moving pieces with the Work Breakdown Structure Template. Know right away what needs to be done and execute tasks more efficiently.
About the Work Breakdown Structure Template
Planning complex projects can be challenging. Use the work breakdown structure (WBS) template to quickly decompose the project’s total scope, including specific deliverables and activities. This helps with estimating resources and costs, creating a phased schedule of tasks, and managing each phase.
A work breakdown structure template is a project management tool that lays out everything a project must accomplish, organizes those tasks into multiple levels, and displays these elements graphically. It’s a deliverable-based approach, meaning you’ll end up with a detailed project plan of the deliverables you must create to finish the job.
When to use a work breakdown structure template
Use the WBS template when you need to deconstruct your team's work into smaller, well-defined elements to make it more manageable. The template makes it easy to keep team members informed, identify specific project deliverables, and help you develop a project schedule. The hierarchical structure makes it easier for a project manager to oversee a complex project and make sure every task gets done.
What are the 4 elements of the work breakdown structure template?
1. Hierarchy.
Each work breakdown structure is hierarchical. That means every “child” on the graph has a hierarchical relationship with its parent task. When you add up all the “child” elements, it’ll give you a clear picture of the parent task.
2. 100% rule.
While every work breakdown structure is a little different, they all follow the 100% rule. Every level of the graph must make up 100% of the parent level, and it must have at least two “child” elements.
3. Mutually exclusive elements.
Every element at each level of a WBS template has to be mutually exclusive. That means there can’t be any overlap between deliverables or work. Enforcing mutual exclusivity helps cut down on miscommunication and avoid duplicate work.
4. Outcome-oriented.
The work breakdown structure is fundamentally a deliverable-oriented system. That means your graphic depiction must focus on the outcomes rather than the activities required to produce them. A good rule of thumb is to describe elements using nouns rather than verbs.
How to create a work breakdown structure with Miro in 3 Steps
Get started by selecting the work breakdown structure template and adding it to your board. Then, follow these steps to fill it in:
1. Set goals & objectives
First, scope the entire project and make sure you understand the goals and objectives. That means determining what your project team is trying to accomplish with the project, how it fits into the broader goals of your organization.
2. Lay out deliverables
Next, catalog all of the major high-level deliverables of the project. These will be the second tier of the structure, and will be comprised of sub-projects that work towards the overall goals & objectives laid out in the first step.
3. Break deliverables into individual tasks
Finally, break those high-level deliverables into smaller pieces for a third level of activities that need to be done to complete the project. These are the specific daily sub-tasks required to get the project off the ground and ultimately completed.
If you'd prefer to start from scratch, Miro's diagramming functionalities make it the perfect WBS creator to visualize a project's components.
Work breakdown structure example
As a product manager, you probably need to organize projects and align different teams across product launches and updates.
In Miro’s WBS Template, you can see the product launch steps divided into departments:
Research
Design
Development
QA
Measurement
We know that every organization is different, and for that reason, you can easily customize the Work Breakdown Structure Template to meet your specific project's needs.
To complete your WBS template, you can add the tasks under each area or department. It can be user research, product development, performance tracking, etc. Once you are done, you will be able to see the whole process at a glance.
What is included in a work breakdown structure template?
There are typically three levels to a work breakdown structure: first, overall goals and objectives, with deliverables as the next level, and finally individual tasks as the final level.
Why use a work breakdown structure?
A work breakdown structure is a great way to break down an overall project into distinct individual tasks, along with aligning each of those tasks with priorities, goals & objectives. Get started with Miro's Work Breakdown Structure template.
How do you create a work breakdown structure?
You can create a WBS template in 3 simple steps: 1. Set goals and project scope 2. Set deliverables in the second tier of the structure 3. Break deliverables into individual tasks and assign them
What are the benefits of a work breakdown structure?
The WBS template can help you visualize your project needs and outcomes easily and better manage your team capacity and resources.
Get started with this template right now.
Crowd Sourced Cause and Effect
Works best for:
Fishbone Diagram, Problem solving
The Crowd Sourced Cause and Effect template leverages collective intelligence to identify root causes of problems. By involving multiple team members, you can gather diverse perspectives and uncover insights that might be overlooked. This collaborative approach ensures a comprehensive analysis and fosters team engagement.
Timeline Workflow by Reza Zolf
Works best for:
Planning, Strategy
The Timeline Workflow template helps streamline your project workflows. It’s perfect for visualizing processes, identifying bottlenecks, and optimizing tasks. This template enhances team collaboration and ensures smooth project execution.
Product Strategy Workshop
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Product Strategy Workshop template facilitates collaborative sessions for defining and refining product strategies. By providing frameworks for analyzing market dynamics, identifying customer needs, and setting strategic goals, this template fosters alignment among cross-functional teams. With sections for SWOT analysis, value proposition development, and goal setting, it enables teams to create comprehensive product strategies that drive business growth and customer satisfaction.
Fishbone Diagram for Service Improvement
Works best for:
Fishbone diagram
The Basic Fishbone Diagram, also known as the Ishikawa or cause-and-effect diagram, is a powerful tool for identifying the root causes of problems. Use this template to systematically explore and document potential causes of an issue, categorizing them into key areas such as people, processes, equipment, and materials. This visual approach helps teams collaborate on problem-solving, ensuring all factors are considered and addressed effectively.
Salesforce Implementation Plan
Works best for:
Roadmap, Planning, Mapping
The Salesforce Implementation Plan template offers a structured framework for planning and executing Salesforce deployment projects. By outlining key milestones, tasks, and dependencies, teams can ensure a smooth transition to the Salesforce platform. This template facilitates collaboration between IT and business teams, ensuring that implementation efforts are aligned with strategic objectives and deliver value to stakeholders.
Funding Tracker Template
Works best for:
Kanban Boards, Operations
For many organizations, especially non-profits, funding is their lifeblood—and meeting fundraising goals is a crucial part of carrying out their mission. A funding tracker gives them a powerful, easy-to-use tool for measuring their progress and staying on course. And beyond helping you visualize milestones, this template will give you an effective way to inspire the public to donate, and help you keep track of those donors. It’s especially useful when you have multiple donations coming from a variety of sources.