In the ever-evolving world of project management, organizations face the constant challenge of effectively planning, executing, and monitoring projects to achieve desired outcomes.
Fortunately, SAP Work Breakdown Structure (SAP WBS) can empower your project manager and teams to break down projects into manageable components, establish clear hierarchies, assign responsibilities, and track progress efficiently.
This article will discuss the key features and capabilities of Work Breakdown Structure in SAP, as well as where our team of SAP consultants can come in to help.
Let’s dive in!
What is SAP WBS?
SAP WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) refers to the model of the project that organizes project tasks into a priority list and outlines a hierarchical list for each task. An individual WBS element represents specific activities within the overall work breakdown structure. The WBS elements are referred to as WBS elements in the SAP Project System (PS), and they include tasks, work packages, and partial tasks to be subdivided.
Here are a few key features of a WBS in the SAP Project System (SAP PS):
- Functional basis for further planning steps in a project (i.e., process planning, scheduling, actual costs planning, and project control)
- Offers a clear picture of the project and shows the work involved in a project
- Facilitates the coordination and implementation of the project from a project management perspective
What are the 3 Levels of Work Breakdown Structure?
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into smaller, more manageable components. It organizes and defines the work required to complete a project.
WBS consists of three main components to help users plan and optimize real-world business processes:
Level 1: Project Phase or Major Deliverables
This level focuses on identifying the major phases or deliverables of the project and provides an overview of the project’s main components or outcomes. If the project is initiated to develop a new software application, Level 1 could include sub-phases, like Analysis, Design, Development, Testing, and Deployment.
Level 2: Sub-deliverables or Work Packages
Level 2 breaks down the major deliverables identified in Level 1 into smaller, more manageable components, like Requirements Gathering, Stakeholder Interviews, and more. Each sub-deliverable or work package represents a distinct piece of work that contributes to the completion of the major deliverable. A work package can be seen in the SAP System by an activity or WBS elements.
Level 3: Activities or Tasks
Level 3 represents the lowest level of the WBS elements and further decomposes the work packages from Level 2 into specific activities or tasks, including conducting user interviews, creating requirements specification documents, and analyzing an already created delivery document. These actions need to be completed by individual employees to accomplish the respective work package.
Understanding WBS Elements in SAP
With Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), companies are enabled to define cost centers and work centers, have profit centers assigned at the plant level, and generate reports on predefined selection criteria.
WBS Elements are essentially ‘buckets’ where many activities belonging to a particular part of the project systems are captured, analyzed, and stored. For example, if you are implementing an SAP PS module in SAP, you will likely have to attach the Sales Order to the WBS element it belongs to in the system. They typically form a WBS hierarchy as well.
Here are a few examples of WBS elements that support SAP PS:
- Network scheduling
- Capacity planning (work centers)
- Capacity leveling
- Workforce planning
- Resource planning
- Material planning
- Assemblies
How Can We Help?
Whether you need help creating reports that outline how many sales orders were created in a certain time period, additional support coordinating multiple network activities in a centralized platform, or just an extra hand integrating all the modules that make up the core of your SAP systems, Surety Systems can help.
Our team of senior-level, US-based SAP consultants has what it takes to handle any kind of project, from first-time implementations to complex integrations, software upgrades, and more.
Getting Started with Us
Interested in learning more about SAP WBS? Ready to get started on your SAP journey?
Contact us today for more information!
