Fixed Work Breakdown Structures in

Microsoft Project
ACaseforaCustomOutlineCodeField
JimAksel,PMP,PMISP
ProjectPMO
jim@ProjectPMO.com
(714)3123120

MicrosoftProjectcontainsWorkBreakdownStructure(WBS)andanOutlineCodefieldintheoutofthe
boxconfiguration.Thecodeshavesomegreatfeaturesandareveryusefulinmanycircumstances.The
Microsoftdocumentationandhelponthesefeaturesiswelldocumentedonline.Oneofthedrawbacks
ofthesecodesistheytendtochangewhenitemsaremovedaroundwithintheschedulemodel,or,they
canbeeasilyrenumbered.Inmostcases,however,astaticWBSmeetingtheapprovedrequirementsof
anexternalstakeholderisnecessary.AStaticWBSiseasilyimplementedinMicrosoftProjectusingone
oftheCustomOutlineCodefields;thispaperisahowto.
ManycontractsrequiretheuseofafixedWBS,theUnitedStatesDepartmentofDefenseroutinely
requiresdevelopmentcontractstobealignwithpublishedWBSStandardssuchasMILSTD881:
DEPARTMENTOFDEFENSESTANDARDPRACTICEWORKBREAKDOWNSTRUCTURESFORDEFENSE
MATERIELITEMS.Forthepurposeofthisexercise,IwillextractAppendixAfromthestandardand
createaWBSinMicrosoftProject.AportionoftheMILSTD881CAppendixA(AircraftSystem)isshown
below;thereisnoneedtofretoverthedetails,justexaminethelevelsofindenture:

Itwouldbeanacademicexercisetomakeatemplatebysimplytypingeachofthesedocumentsinto
MicrosoftProject,anyonecandothatwithafreecopyofthestandardinPDFFormat,andcopy/paste.If
youneedaMicrosoftProjectSchedulemodelinWBSformat,IencourageyoutodoexactlywhatIjust
described.
However,manycontractsarenowgettingawayfromadeliverablesbasedformatandatrendingmore
towardaprocessdrivenIntegratedMasterPlan(Schedule)model.Otherprogramsarewantingtosee
schedulemodelsdevelopedmoreinalignmentwithaPrimaryWorkStatement(orStatementofWork).
Insteadofemphasisonthespecificenditemstobemanufacturedanddelivered,ProgramManagement
isnowtakingamorekeeninterestinHowoverWhatinmanagingtheprogram.Assuch,
stakeholdersaremoreinterestedingettingthereandwanttoknowthestepsnecessarytogettoa
PreliminaryDesign,andwhatisthepathweneedtofollowtoauthorizeManufacturingtostart?The
samecanbesaidforsoftwaredevelopment.Inthesecases,itismoreadvantageoustodevelopa
schedulemodelbasedonProcessoverphysicaldeliverables.ButhowdoIassignaWBStoschedule
modelactivitieswhenitwillnotrollupbyWBSorotherrequirement?
IfaWBSdescribesthephysicaldeliverablesofacontract(LandingGear,Wings,Fuselage,Propulsion
System),thenhowamItomakeaschedulemodelthatwillproperlyrollupallelementsofLanding
GearwhenImustalsoshowmyschedulemodelasaprocessproceedingfromrequirementsgathering,
systemrequirementsreview,conceptualdesign,preliminarydesign,detaildesign,releaseto
manufacturing,assembly,test,integration,flighttest,andfinaldelivery?
Yes,itispossibletoputeachofthetopicsfromthepreviousparagraphmultipletimesintotheschedule
model(thatis,onceforeachdeliverableitemoftheWBS).Whenwedothingsthatway,wefindpieces
ofpreliminarydesignscatteredthroughouttheschedule.Wearenotabletoeasilyanswerquestions
likewhenwillthe(entire)preliminarydesignbecompleted?withoutlookingthroughtheentire
schedulemodel.So,wehaveapushtopresenttheschedulemodelinaprocessbasedformat.
Conversely,ifwemaintaintheschedulemodelpurelyinphysicaldeliverableWBSformat,wehavethe
reciprocalchallengetoplaceeachprocesselementbeloweachWBSelement.

Custom Fields to the Rescue

WhatIamproposingherecanbeextendedtonearlyanyexternallyrequirednumberingschemasuchas
StatementofWork,WorkBreakdownStructure,IntegratedMasterPlan,orotherknownrequirement.
Youdeveloptheschedulemodeltosomeconvenientstructure,thenentercrossreferencecodingtothe
schedulemodelallowinggroupingandsortingtopresentthedetailtaskdatainvariousviews.Inthis
example,IassumetheprogramisconstrainedtoanAircraftSystemWBSandthatcostsmustbe
reportedtoaspecifiedlevelofWBSwithinanothercostcontrolsystem.

Create a Custom Outline Code

OntheFormatribbon,selectCustomFields:


IntheCustomFieldDialogBox,selectoneoftheCustomOutlineCodeFields,IselectedOutlineCode1:

OncethedesiredOutlineCodeisselected,clickonLookuptorevealtheinputmenu:

Aninputtablewillappearinthemiddleofthescreen;Ihavecroppedtheemptytableouthere,because
itisnotquitetimeforthatyet.Youwillneedtodecidewhattypeofinputmaskshouldbeappliedto
thenewWBS.Shoulditbenumericonly?ShouldIallowleadingzerosinthenumberschema?Are

alphabeticcharactersallowedinfixedormixedcase?Mostimporatantly,howmanylevelsshouldbe
allowedintheWBShierarchy?Letsdecideonfourlevelsthatmustbeoftwodigitseach.SoourWBS
willgofrom00.00.00.00to99.99.99.99andwillalwayshavetwodigitforeachlevel.SelecttheEdit
Maskbuttonandfillinlikebelow:

SincewerequireexactlytwodigitsineachleveloftheWBS,wewillautomaticallygetleadingzeros(if
needed)whencreatingthedetails.SelectOK.
WhatIdidwastakeacopyofthespecificWBSandcopieditdirectlytomyclipboardfromthePDFcopy
oftheWBSIwantedtouse.MakecertaintherearenoblanklinesandtheentireWBSisexpanded(for
example,ifyouarecopyingfromExcel).

Whenalltheitemsarepastedintothelookuptable,youwillneedtoestablishappropriateentriesinthe
Valuessideofthetable.Inthiscase,werequirenumeralsoftwodigitswidth.Followingthescreen
shotfromabove,hereiswhatwehave(noticetherederrorsaregone):

Youadjustthelevelofindenturefortheentriesusingthegreenarrowkeysontheform.
YounowhaveaWBSStructureembeddedintoaMicrosoftProjectfile.
TheWBScanbetoanyreasonablelevelofindentureaslongasitisatleastasdeepasthereporting
requirements.WhenassigningWBSelementstoindividualtaskelementsintheschedulemodel,itis
importanttoonlyselectWBSelementsthatareatorbelowtherequiredlevelofreporting.IftheWBS
inMicrosoftProjectisonlydowntothereportinglevel,MicrosoftProjectmakesenforcingthisconcept
easybyexpandingtheDataentryoptionsontheEditLookupTabledialogandforcetheassignments
onlytobeatthelowestleveloftheWBS.Additionally,itisusuallyconvenienttoprecludetheuserfrom
allowingnewentriesintheWBSbyleavingtheappropriatecheckboxunselected.Keepinmindthisisa
falsesenseofsecuritysincethereisnowaytoprecludeusersfromchangingthesesettings.

Using the Embedded WBS Structure

ThenewWBSField(OutlineCode1)worksjustlikeanyothercustomOutlineCode.Assignavalueto
eachdetailleveltaskwithintheScheduleModel.ItisbesttoonlyassignthelowestlevelWBSElements
intheWBStodetailtaskelements(thosewithoutchildren)andmilestones.SinceSummaryTasksinthe
ScheduleModelareonlyforhumanreadabilityandunderstanding,itisbestnottoassignthingslikea
WBStothoseelements.Instead,usethegroupingfeatureswithMicrosoftProjecttodisplayacustom
viewoftheWBS.

Custom Outline Code and Grouping

CreatingaWBSorderedScheduleModeltakesonlyafewmouseclicks.Below,Icreatedaveryrandom
orderoftasksandsummarytasksrelationships.Althoughthisorderdoesnotseemtomakemuch
sense,Iammakingthepointthatyourschedulemodelmaybegroupedandpresentedinnearlyany
mannerdesired.Theonlyimportantiteminthefigurebelowisthateachdetailedtask(thoselacking
children)containsaWBScodefromthecustomWBSwejustcreated.NoticetheWBScodeorder
appearstomakenosenseatallinthisview.


WecanorganizethistotheWBSviewintwomouseclicks:


1. ClickonthedownarrownexttoOutlineCode1
2. ClickonGrouponthisfield
TheresultisaniceorderedWBSlayout,seethenexttwofigures:


Andhereitiswithallthedetailedtasksdisplayed:


Thereareadvantagestothistypeofgroupingsuchasthenewlyidentifiedsummarytaskswill
automaticallyrollupcalculationsforformuladrivenfields,dates,work,cost,etc.