Work breakdown structure (WBS)
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- UpdatedAug 1, 2024
- 2 minutes to read
- Xanadu
- Project Portfolio Management
The work breakdown structure (WBS) is a hierarchical representation of all the tasks in your project.
Use the WBS to get a quick overview of the entire project, including the tasks and subtasks nested in the project. The Gantt chart gives you a similar overview using graphical elements like lines and bars to show dependencies and lengths of tasks. The WBS is more data-driven, presenting a wide variety of task information in expandable rows.
You can view the WBS on the planning console, or as a related list on the Project or Project Task form. See Open the project planning console or Access the WBS as a related list.
Column Name | Description |
---|---|
WBS | The number of the task in the WBS hierarchy. The first task in the hierarchy is assigned the number 1. Subtasks increment the number in the tenth place, such as 1.1 and 1.2. The numbers are read-only. |
WBS Order | A number that represents the task in relation to its parent. The first subtask under a task has an WBS Order of 1, and the next task 2. If you edit a number, all tasks are moved accordingly after you refresh the list. |
Number | The task ID number, which should not be changed. |
Other useful information also appears by default, such as the description and percentage
complete. You can personalize the list like any other list by clicking the personalize list icon
() and selecting the columns you want to view.