Using Project to Manage a WBS

mwt@mssl.ucl.ac.uk

Thursday, 19 July 2001

Based on Project 98

Should also apply to Project 4.x and Project 2000.

The outlining tools (first group in the Formatting toolbar) permit the hierarchy of tasks to be controlled. Demoting a task (pushing to the right) makes the task above it a Summary Task. This means:

The formatting of the summary task is different.
The task also has the Summary task field set (i.e. to “Yes”).
Durations and costs are calculated solely on the basis of the subordinate tasks. A summary task has no work associated with itself (care - this may be different from the usage implied in some WBS trees).

You can also skip the outline tool. Hover the mouse near the beginning of the task name – when the pointer changes to a ßà, drag the task.

Other hints:

Project | outline | Hide/Show outline symbols

- Collapse a task

+ Expand a task

A WBS code attribute is available for each task. This is an outline number (e.g. 5.3.2.) that represents the task’s position in the hierarchy. The first task or summary task is task 1. It’s first subordinate is 1.1. You can display the WBS code:

By changing the definition of the Table you are working in to insert a WBS code column. This creates a new column which contains the WBS code:

View | Table: Entry[1] „| More Tables
(select a table) Edit | Insert Row,

then: drop down to select, or type in, “WBS”.

This places the number within the task name column.:

Tools | Options | View : Show outline number.

Note that the latter dialog box also allows a Task 0 – the complete project – to be displayed.