:AACE CERTIFICATION 2009-2010:

Engineering Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

We just recently have the approval for the annual capital budget 2010 from the corporate and starting to develop project execution for all of sustaining projects. One of the major projects, Electric Furnace rebuilds being developed and EPCM contract has been awarded to the foreign contractor. They recently develop the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) on each major activity i.e. engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning. I found the interesting thing that leads me to write it down to this blog.

The engineering consultant who win this job develop the engineering Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and seems to me they are developing it with cost-element orientation instead of product-oriented or phase oriented. The Work Breakdown Structure organized around element of cost. Summarizing status of the key area of the engineering design would become difficult or impossible because date would be added from numerous elements of cost legs to obtain a total status for a subject of engineering design.

When I open Humphreys & Associates chapter 2, Work Breakdown Structure page 39, its give a clear view and guidance how the best way to develop Work Breakdown Structure for engineering design. Since the engineering design has a multiple phases, it’s necessary to structure the Work Breakdown Structure by phase. This allows the Work Breakdown Structure to be properly oriented for all phases. The following example illustrates how an engineering Work Breakdown Structure would look according to the Humphreys theory.

I’m still read this chapter and discuss with the consultant on how to develop the best Work Breakdown Structure implemented for this project. I would write in the next blog what is the final result that we agreed and open for comments.


Sorowako January 15th, 2010.

Cited:
Humpreys & Associates, Chapter 2, Definition of Scope (Work Breakdown Structure) Page 29-43