Project Planning with WBS vs. Activity Codes: Beyond the Obvious
This article was originally published on LinkedIn
By Marc Bobby
In P6, Project Management I am often asked whether it is better to structure a project using P6 WBS or Activity Codes. To a certain degree, it is a matter of personal preference, as either method can provide a structure in which to manage the deliverables of a project. My preference is to build a schedule utilizing a WBS, in a traditional manner, to lay out the projects deliverables and workflow. I would then use Activity Codes to supplement the ability to group, filter, and sort project data, therefore, enhancing performance analysis and reporting. I have also utilized project structures where the WBS was built out to a level 3 or 4 and then activity Codes were used for the remaining project levels. Project integration to Master Projects, owner requirements, and project management principles are other factors to consider when deciding how to structure projects.
And Now Beyond the Obvious…
Outside of personal preferences and integration needs, additional factors should be considered when deciding how to structure a project. The following are WBS attributes that cannot be performed and/or utilized by Activity Codes:
- WBS Summary Activities: A great way to highlight a Level 2 Schedule with a neat waterfall flow and to manage resources and costs at a rolled up level
- WBS elements can have Notebooks assigned
- WBS elements can have Work Products and Documents assigned
- Security can be assigned at the WBS level
- Thresholds, Risks, and Issues can be monitored and tracked at the WBS level
- Budgets, Spending Plans, and Budgets Logs can be managed and tracked at the WBS level
- Copying activities is a much easier task when grouped by WBS
- Earned Value attributes including WBS EV Milestones can be set at the WBS level
- The Tracking View is designed to use WBS elements
- Long range Resource Planning can be performed at the WBS level
- Projects can be summarized to specific WBS levels
- In R8, you can use WBS elements to develop project template plug-ins or fragnets (mini-templates) to populate existing or new projects
So the next time you are planning out the development of a Primavera project consider all of the facts before deciding what the best method will be to structure your project.
Source: http://www.cbaprojectconnection.com/wbs-vs-activity-codes-beyond-the-obvious/
My name is George Nwogu, an Engineer, Project Manager/Planner/Control and Trainer from Nigeria. I’m currently a PM Consultant and Project Planner at Bizville Project Management
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