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.
Trusted by 65M+ users and leading companies
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.
When to use a Work Breakdown Structure Template
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.
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.
Share your expertise on Miroverse 🚀
Publish your own template and help over 60M+ Miro users jump-start their work.
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.
5S Template
Works best for:
Strategy and Planning, Productivity
The 5S Template offers a systematic framework based on the renowned 5S methodology: Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain. Originally derived from Japanese manufacturing practices, this template provides clear directions to help teams optimize workspaces. A standout benefit of using this template is its capacity to drastically improve efficiency. Every resource and tool is positioned for maximum productivity by guiding users through decluttering and organizing, reducing time wastage, and enhancing overall workflow.
Schedule Template
Works best for:
Project Management
The schedule template streamlines time management. Whether plotting out tasks for a detailed project or simply organizing daily routines, its user-friendly design accommodates diverse scheduling needs quickly. A standout benefit of this template is its exceptional flexibility; users can seamlessly adjust timeframes from hours to weeks, ensuring that their schedule remains adaptable and precise, catering to ever-evolving requirements.
T-Chart Template
Works best for:
Ideation, Operations, Strategic Planning
T-Charts can help you compare and contrast two different ideas, group information into different categories, and prove a change through “before” and “after” analysis. T-Charts are visual organizational tools that enable you to compare ideas, so you can evaluate pros and cons, facts and opinions, strengths and weaknesses, or big-picture views versus specific details. Designers and content creators can use T-Charts to turn possibilities into actionable ideas. T-Charts are useful for discussing differences and similarities with your team or clients and can help you to reach a decision together.
PERT Chart Template
Works best for:
Mapping, Diagrams, Project Planning
A Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) diagram is used to plan projects efficiently. They help you set a clear timeline, plan out tasks and dependencies, and determine a critical path.
Scenario Planning Template
Works best for:
Planning
The Scenario Planning Template simplifies the complex process of strategizing and envisioning various future scenarios. The template’s clear structure helps teams and individuals effectively navigate the multifaceted steps of project planning and execution. A standout benefit of this template is its capability to foster structured thinking. With its distinct sections ranging from definition to action, it ensures that ideas are organized coherently, promoting logical progression and reducing the chances of oversight, making the planning process both efficient and comprehensive.
666 Roadmap Template
Works best for:
Strategic Planning, Product Management, Roadmaps
For most companies, especially startups, it’s important to keep two perspectives in mind when planning for the future: your plan and your vision. Your plan is a close-up view of what you want to accomplish in the near future, while your vision provides a zoomed-out view of what you hope to accomplish in the long term. The 666 Roadmap encourages you to plan for the future by thinking about the next 6 years, 6 months, and 6 weeks. Use this roadmap to strategize, think about what you want to build, and focus on a concrete plan for the upcoming quarter.