WBS Software - VisualWBS - Work breakdown structure

Visual WBS Software

Create professional WBS diagrams. Use your WBS for planning and as a visual project status report.

Simple & Easy to use

VisualWBS is designed for project management professionals. Create and update tour WBS easily in a few clicks.

Export to Microsoft Project

Create your WBS diagram and export to Microsoft Project.

Outstanding project status reporting

Manually write your status information on the WBS elements or import status fields form Microsoft Project and display in the WBS.

 5/5

" I am now able to create a WBS diagram in no more time than it takes to prepare an indented list. This format helps to communicate the scope to various stakeholders " - Steve Hunter, Project Manager

View project status
at a glance

Write status information directly in the WBS or import status from Microsoft project and apply to the WBS elements. The work breakdown structure diagram becomes a progress report communication tool providing your stakeholders with a quick visual information. Display status on some or all work packages and summary elements.

Optimized for projection & Screen-sharing video conference when working remotely.

The interface is designed to use minimal screen space to leave maximum space for the WBS. It is optimized for use with projectors or screen-sharing capable video software (for example use it with Zoom or Microsoft Teams)

WBS creation fast & easy.

The Work breakdown structure diagram creation functions are so easy to use that you can update the WBS in work session with your team. Add, Remove or Move WBS elements in one click.

Intuitive interface

VisualWBS intuitive interface enables you to immediately start creating your WBS diagram. Just select and click "Add". There`s no need to learn a new complex software.

Update WBS during remote meetings

You can update the WBS and the WBS dictionary live with your team using screen sharing in virtual meeting (like Zoom) or in room with a projector. The interface is designed to use minimal screen space to leave maximum space for the WBS.

WBS dictionary

During the WBS creation you can capture valuable information and store them in the integrated WBS dictionary which is one click away.

Download VisualWBS

Try the VisualWBS for a free 15 days trial period.

Buy now

Purchase a perpetual license

Videos & User guide

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is an activity oriented structure presenting all the work to be done to achieve the project objectives. The WBS is a key component of any project plan. It It is use for planning and estimating the project and to better define and communicate the scope of the project. The work is decomposed in the WBS to the level at which it can be estimated and managed. The lower level WBS elements are called work packages (WP). Work packages can be assigned to a responsible business unit, a team, a contract or a person.

With VisualWBS the project sponsor and the team members will be able to easily visualyze which work packages are started, completed or which need closer attention. Moreover the WBS enable all parties to share a common understanding of the work required to complete the project. The Work breakdown structure must cover 100% of the work to be done by the project. If an element is not part of the WBS it is considered out of the scope of the project.

A Work breakdown structure Dictionary is a separate document prepared during the WBS progressive elaboration to better define each element of the WBS, including deliverables, acceptance criterias (definition of done), dependencies, and to assign responsibilities to work packages. The WBS also helps to identify the team composition and where to obtain the estimates.

The Work breakdown structure is the basis for:

– Make or buy decisions

– Cost estimation

– Project schedule

With VisualWBS, the work breakdown structure can also used to visualize at a glance the project status and become a key element of the project progress report.

Cost & Schedule baseline

The initial project plan must include estimates of project duration and total costs. The estimations can be a mix of top-down and bottom up estimate techniques. The work breakdown structure along with ressources allocation to the work packages are used to perform the estimates. The WBS is also used to structure the estimate.

The estimating steps are:

– Establish relationships between work packages
– Estimates the duration of work packages and higher level WBS elements that are not yet fully defined to the work package level
– List required ressources (labor, material, contracts)
– Estimate the costs of these ressources (labor rates, etc.)
– Allocate ressources to the work packages
– Estimate (top down) the cost of higher level WBS elements that are not yet defined to the work package level

This process provides you the initial budget of the project. Establishing a baseline consist of recording your initial budget as if you would take a ‘picture’ of the project plan at this moment. During the project execution the actual results are compared with the baseline to obtain the current project status and prepare the progress report. The project progress report is prepared at regular intervals and with a constant format.

VisualWBS provides capability to present key status information directly into the WBS diagram. This will be highly appreciated by the project sponsor because it will present at a glance the actual status of the project. VisualWBS enables you to present:

– Work packages completed
– Work packages in progress and their status with respect to cost and schedule compared to baseline
– Work packages not started and their status if late to start

Project performance metrics

The baseline enables the use of key metrics provided by your scheduling and tracking software such as Microsoft Project. These key metrics can be easily imported to VisualWBS to be presented into the WBS diagram. VisualWBS enables you to enter the status manually or automate the entry with the status import function. The most used metrics are:

– % Complete
– Agile SCRUM velocity in story points
– Cost variance (CV)
– Cost performance index (CPI)
– Schedule variance (SV)
– Schedule performance index (SPI)
– Estimate at completion (EAC) compared to baseline

VisualWBS enables you to communicate a precise project status easily understandable by the project sponsor and interrested stakeholders. You will be able to produce it periodically without much effort because the process can be automated with VisualWBS.