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.
Action Plan Template
Works best for:
Education, Project Management, Project Planning, Kanban
Why create an action plan? Long-term business strategies and goals are only good if you can make them a reality—by accomplishing every small task along the way. An action plan lists those tasks and lays them out in clear detail. It helps you keep everything in order, make sure nothing is missed, and get stakeholders on the same page to complete a project quickly and effectively. This template will help you write an action plan that’s SMART: Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound.
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.
Gantt Chart Template
Works best for:
Project Management, Mapping, Roadmaps
Simplicity, clarity, and power — that’s what make Gantt charts such a popular choice for organizing and displaying a project plan. Built upon a horizontal bar that represents the project progress over time, these charts break down projects by task, allowing the whole team to see the task status, who it’s assigned to, and how long it will take to complete. Gantt charts are also easily shareable among team members and stakeholders, making them great tools for collaboration.
The Product Storyboard
Works best for:
Product Management, Planning
The Product Storyboard template enables product managers to visualize product experiences and user journeys. By mapping out key touchpoints, interactions, and scenarios, this template helps teams understand user needs and pain points. With sections for defining user personas, storyboarding user flows, and capturing feedback, it supports iterative product design and validation. This template serves as a storytelling tool for communicating product visions and guiding product development efforts towards delivering exceptional user experiences.
Product Development Process Flowchart Template
The Product Development Process Flowchart Template is a strategic tool designed to guide teams through the intricate journey of bringing a new product to market. This template serves as a visual roadmap, outlining each critical step in the product development lifecycle, from initial concept and design to testing, refinement, and eventual launch. It's structured to foster clarity, ensuring that all team members are aligned and aware of their roles and responsibilities at every phase.
UML Class Content Management System (CMS) Template
Works best for:
UML
The UML Class Content Management System CMS Template simplifies documenting and designing the architecture of a Content Management System. It allows for the creation of UML class diagrams to visualize the structure of a CMS. Teams can efficiently map out key classes and their interactions, such as how users create, manage, and publish digital content. The template's integration into Miro's collaborative platform allows for real-time teamwork, customization, and easy sharing of feedback. This streamlines the documentation process and is valuable for software development projects aiming to develop or refine a CMS.