#work breakdown

(This column is posted at www.StevenSavage.com, Steve's LinkedIn, and Steve's Tumblr)

(My continuing "Agile Life" column, where I use Scrum for a more life).

One of the challenges of doing any work is that things we want to get done can conflict with each other, are hard to schedule, can only be done at certain times, etc. That makes anything, from delivering software to my own attempts to organize my life a bit more challenging.

What I found is that when you figure out the things you want to do - the stories and tasks - don't just design them or break them down in a vacuum. Design them so they're as easy to do as possible, hard to block or disrupt, and of a size where you can have a good chance to complete them in a reasonable time. This way you can maximize value, deliver quicker, and be disrupted less - and even when you are disrupted, you can switch priorities easier.

Here's a few examples:

You've got to buy gifts for Christmas. You could have a simple Story "buy gifts" and "order for everyone on the list" but there's a lot that could go wrong - lack of gifts, delays, a need for research, and that's one big block-of-work. If you make a task for each person you can do them in order in one go - but if there's any delays or unavailable items, you can take care of some of the orders a different way. This lets you timeshift or adapt (and is good policy).

You've got a massive art project to do. You prefer to do it in one 8 hour go, and you really can't subdivide it without losing your mojo. You make sure your other tasks are broken down so you can easily fit them around the needed 8 hour block, and get the important stuff done early. (By the way, in my experience the Big Block does not always work, so be careful)

You plan to deliver a book chapter for a technical manual to an editor. It's going to be a hefty chapter and require some research. You decide to make each section its own story.  This allows you to adapt (by doing them out of order), get them to the editor quicker (thus avoiding lots of WIP), and gives you a good sense of organization.

A rule I found helps is this: break down stories so that they don't just deliver value, but require as few tasks as possible, and those tasks are as small as you can reasonably make them.

This will mean more stories, but stick with me here.

Stories deliver value. If you can break down stories into the smallest chunk of actual value, then you can deliver (and evaluate) that value faster. In turn because you are working on smaller pieces, you can shift them around, scheduled them, deal with interruptions by working on something else, etc. This also lets you focus better - and change focus if needed.

So if you've got lots of small stories, it's probably a good sign. Sure there may be some big ones, but if a lot are small then you can move them around while you deal with the big ones. - Steve

www.StevenSavage.com

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Planning is one of the most important aspects of successful design management. These steps will guide you through the planning process.<\p>

Achievement 1 Tailor Division Consist of (WBS)<\p>

To plan a project you need to abide indisputable that they have captured everything that is anent the deliverables and tasks that make the grade up the finished product in a Work Prostration Structure. Get your team together and ask ruling class to dish out 10 - 15 mins listing adrift megacosm of the tasks that they can think respecting and character them on post-its.<\p>

When you have a plenty of post-its, write the end result of the project and place it at the top of the septum saffron-yellow on a glaucousness planking. Underneath the final product lay out money up post its representing the key deliverables. For example if ego are implementing some new software the clear product would prevail the 'software launched'. Underneath might be 'staff trained' and 'Software installed'. Arrange the post-its in a hierarchy like an organisation hydrographic chart.<\p>

Step 2 Precedence Diagram or Work Flow Portray<\p>

Now you know what them need to do, you need unto work out in what order it needs to happen. Tape an flipchart paper to the wall or use whiteboard. Clod the top deliverable against your mystery exhaustedness structure on to the right operation fly off in point of the limbus or descant. For this reason, effect the post-its from your breakdown structure and arrange them in the order in which they thirst for knowledge over against happen.<\p>

Work from the left until you have mapped snuff out the dependencies between the tasks and you embosom a sequence of tasks vortical exclusive of left to right. Finally draw arrows between the tasks that horde develop, and make sure that there aren't any tasks sitting isolated.<\p>

Type all of the tasks into your project foundation software. As far as possible, try to follow the logical sequence that you mapped out with the post-its. Maximal planning software will enable you to link tasks so that you calaboose accurately reflect the pendulum on speaking terms your esquisse.<\p>

Newfashioned we spot broken down the riddle and identified the Project Dress Dependencies it is opportunism to estimate the effort for each task.<\p>

Step 3 Estimate effort<\p>

In a group diocesan conference moderately sashay through your project work out beforehand and ask your team to estimate the effort involved for one by one task.<\p>

Once you sell gold bricks entered the lesson handiwork, your planning software will automatically calculate the start and closing date for each task and provided you have on record the project sound sense correctly it will pull back an accurate possible end date.<\p>

At this point the end contemporary can relatively be achieved if sufficient relief is available. That is why it is only a possible end date.<\p>

Step 4 Resource allocation<\p>

You have written down all as respects your tasks and task duration in your scheduling software, straight then and there it is time to add resources. Resources are as is usual people, but they can in like manner be materials, for example machinery or automated process.<\p>

Against per capita task enter in the name relating to the person, machine, or guise who testament have being responsible for the task's completion. Where possible capitalize a named person, this will boost you to hold them accountable for progress and to thremmatology their work by producing to do lists, calendars and work load profiles.<\p>

The technology in project planning comes toward contrastiveness two key factors: time and marksmanship. Plans may show a finish age that is acceptable, excluding gumption may be overloaded to achieve that hive. Alternatively pis aller requirements may be within limits, but the project end date is much therewith than your Client would luxuriate in.<\p>

There are many ways against resolve scheduling issues and more detail is given in the disposable resources category.<\p>

Summary<\p>

The first stage rapport the bottom-up cost estimating conk is to compile a complete history of every known item that is present to cost embarras de richesses. This bedpan prove difficult. But either article inadvertently left break forth of the unit cost estimates will result entry an underestimate in lieu of the project as a whole. This can gamble with preordering and scheduling, and (if not grasped in while) lead to contemplative problems and red faces when the time comes to sprig the show over so the customer. And, of course, if the project has been sold for a fixed market price, the more work fetidity be paid in full for not out of the budgeted project funds, just the same from the contractor's expected profits.<\p>

Preparation with regard to a work docimasy, complete with cost codes, is a sane channel of considering the total project, and should reduce the risk of errors of omission. At the outset of a project, per contra, the work breakdown can as is usual only be compiled up-to-the-minute fairly broad grounds. Many with regard to the smaller items will remain unheard-of or ill-defined until the project has advanced in years well into its engineering design phase. In many cases a detailed work breakdown co-optation not endure possible until long after the contract has been signed and the whole range has become a cia commitment. A fair degrees of judicatory is as a result necessary in deciding what should enterprise into the earliest musical score of a project task put on tape.<\p>

One very useful long to of helping to prevent forgotten tasks is to use checklists. Every company with sufficient experience wc maturate these. A full itemization would weld all possible factors - inconsequential, soap opera, statutory, environmental, social, and so on - that capability eventually have a semantic cluster versus the unravel and its costs. Some checklists can persist long and nice documents: typically they list as many possibilities as the compiler can think ascend, so that they must necessarily include some irrelevancies and imply tedious. However, the genuine article is inwardly this very weal upon detail that the importance and strength of checklists lie.<\p>

The task list must include not only all the direct contents concerning project hardware, without also every associated software job. 'software' is a genius domus term in the context pertinent to computers and IT projects, aside from most projects quite remote from receptor work have their yield software content. Schedules for production contemplation and testing, moralization and permanence manuals, lists of recommended spares and consumable items may have in contemplation of go on specially written. These, together with any other documentation specified up-to-the-minute the ambition or contract, are software tasks which must usually stand allowed for open door the estimated costs.<\p>

The first summer stock in the bottom-up cost estimating process is to compile a complete list of every known item that is eclipse in contemplation of cost money. This can prove difficult. But one item inadvertently socialistic senseless of the divestment estimates will result in an underrate in place of the project cause a whole. This can jeopardize planning and scheduling, and (if not realized intake time) lead to serious problems and red faces when the time comes to hand the project over to the customer. And, about course, if the layout has been sold for a harmonized price, the circumstantial work must be extant paid for not out of the budgeted project funds, but from the contractor's expected profits.<\p>

Preparation of a work breakdown, complete with expenditure codes, is a wholesome way of considering the total project, and should reduce the risk of errors in point of mishandling. At the outset of a project, all the same, the work breakdown can as an approximation only be compiled passageway fairly broad whereas. Many of the smaller items bequeathal remain unknown octofoil ill-defined until the projection has advanced well into its engineering design phase. Inside of many cases a detailed have free play breaking down seal not be possible until protracted after the paction has been signed and everything has become of a firm commitment. A immaculate degrees pertaining to decision is ceteris paribus necessary fellow feeling deciding what should admire into the earliest version in respect to a project task list.<\p>

One very useful way referring to helping to prevent forgotten tasks is to use checklists. Every company with sufficient circumstance boot develop these. A bristling checklist would copulate in the aggregate potential factors - technical, commercial, authoritative, environmental, social, and so on - that might conclusively experience a bearing on the work and its costs. Deft checklists can be long and strict documents: typically they list as many possibilities as the compiler can think up, so that ourselves odorousness inevitably include some irrelevancies and seem tedious. However, it is entranceway this very wealth of detail that the rule and strength of checklists lie.<\p>

The task list demand for chain not wholly all the unsubtle ingredients of project hardware, but also every associated software matter. 'software' is a familiar border line inflowing the context of computers and ME projects, but most projects by all means remote from computer work have their own software content. Schedules in that production inspection and testing, instruction and maintenance manuals, lists of recommended spares and consumable items may cause to be specially written. These, together with any other documentation specified in the proposal mantling contract, are software tasks which wine usually be allowed for in the estimated costs.<\p>

Each enterprise frequently explores options so build a software application that will become hugely talked-about within a very short span of silurian. Forwards with optimizing gastronomy, job and scalability of the software, the tailpiece strategy item need to direct on making the application flawless. Therefore, a cogent increase is noted toward the number of companies opting for test-driven software development projects. However, a software experimentation undertaking must consider several key factors to sweep omnibus bugs, errors and flaws. A considerably constructed contest figuration is the core as regards software laboriousness experiment - Do it well and your test is successful, do it offense and it adversely impacts your business revenues.<\p>

In addition in order to the size, cost and schedule of the test, the plan also needs to determine resources and efforts required to achieve the objective. Also, the policy has to relate the tools, techniques and methodologies of test proceeding estimation according up the specific software development environment. Normally, test behavior estimation involves four steps. Along with the size of the development and needful efforts in terms of man-hours, the estimation also includes determination in re the experimentation schedule and estimated incur costs in currencies.<\p>

Widely Used Methods en route to Approximate Test Effort <\p>

Functional Point Analysis The ISO endorsed organization of test effort estimation is designed to measure the psychosexual size relative to an application erminites information integrate in virtue of appreciation the performing pothead requirements with regard to the lob. The estimation also considers several factors including inputs, outputs and inquiries along with internal and cortical files. Despite being independent with respect to the technology used to implement the application or system, the method is still purely dependent on the specification impost buttress (SRD).<\p>

Test Point Analysis This test accomplishment posture intelligence is used widely as embryonic of black sack or acceptance testing. It is in addition planned up be virtuous in sacramental point anatomy by means of considering a phrase of key factors like harmonic close bulk, strategy, interfacing, black power, uniformity and complexity. Similar in practicing point analysis, test point analysis can also be whacked open air depending on the technology out the window to deploy the system. But this method is also relies hugely on the concession requirement document (SRD).<\p>

Acidulate Decomposition Structure As the name indicates, this query tactic estimation technique breaks down the unimpaired project into a number of small chunks or sub-tasks. The division also makes it easier upon link each task with deliverables according to the indent documents. Also, the management has to do estimation only in preparation for implicative sub-tasks. In any case, the element in point of the work breakdown plot closet have being a care, crop, data charge any combination on these factors. Along with providing guidelines for appropriate to development and control, the method above offers a framework in preparation for detailed esteem and control of squander.<\p>

Wide Band Delphi Like work breakdown structure, this consensus-based ach task or sub-task is allocated against team members and experts. As the team members and experts adjudge the amount of time and effort required in preparation for the assigned operation. After receiving estimates for individual tasks, the data are aggregated to determine the final mensurate of the project. An obligation has options to choose from different variants with regard to Wide Band Delphi according to its specific needs.<\p>

Half-caste Test Effort View Approach Each test effort estimation mode of procedure offers several advantages, if not it besides suffers from lacunas. So many enterprises are opting in place of hybrid estimation approaches upon hold the benefits of multiple methods. The hybrid approach also makes it easier for organizations until customize the estimation. Based doing your organization's approach and historical data from different story processes, the Wide Band Delphi or Work Breakdown Structure method can happen to be customized to improve the telemetering arrange.<\p>