Guild of Project Controls: Compendium | Roles | Assessment | Certifications | Membership

Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

Activity codes vs WBS

7 replies [Last post]
Fri, 2005-07-01 05:33
Vamsi Kolliboina
User offline. Last seen 28 weeks 2 days ago. Offline
Joined: 3 Sep 2001
Posts: 15
Groups: None
Hi All,

What are the advantages of having a rigid/freezed structure (WBS) when we have the comfort of breaking/grouping/organizing the project(s) through activity codes ?

Cheers,
Vamsi
Top

Replies

Thu, 2005-07-28 03:23
#1
Adnan Amjad
User offline. Last seen 18 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 8
Groups: None
That is called a comprehensive reply GOOD!
Top
Wed, 2005-07-27 09:51
#2
Charleston-Joseph...
User offline. Last seen 2 years 39 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 Jul 2005
Posts: 1347
Groups: None
Hi, back to basic activity code group related activities while WBS chop the whole project into manageable level (work package)of details. In organizing activities, activity code and wbs compliment each other. Activity codes offers flexibility in generating views/layouts or filters.
Top
Thu, 2005-07-14 02:17
#3
Adnan Amjad
User offline. Last seen 18 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 8
Groups: None
Bill,
Difference of opinion is a way to find the better result. What u written in the end I totally agree with it this is what i used to say the flexibility of Activity Codes i.e, u can get the errors of ur Project Plan by doing many kinds of different analysis using Activity Codes like u described or I mentined in my previous msg but one should be very careful i differentiating b/w Activity Codes and WBS coz according to PMI standards (PMBOK) WBS is a way to represent ur Project scope in smaller component/deliverbles i.e, it is the breakdown of ur scope statement of the Project. So correcting ur WBS using Activity Codes is one of its benificial uses not its only use. And it also depends on the planer that weather he defines his Act Coding exactly same as his WBS or not it is not a hard and fast rule. Its just depend on the planner what level of details he require from his Plan.

Sorry for so much lengthy answer but I think it is esential
Top
Wed, 2005-07-13 08:58
#4
Bill Guthrie
User offline. Last seen 7 years 50 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 14 Mar 2005
Posts: 262
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Anan
Beg to differ with you. in fact always try to set up the activity codes to mirror the WBS code structure.

example
Level 1 WBS = Level 1 Activity Code

Level 2 WBS = Level 2 Activity Code.

You have 20 activity code fields, so why not. Reason is that its very easy to check values in a large schedule and errors stick out.
If you orginize by WBS and open Column fields for all Activity Code fields, you can spot in a heartbeat a error in WBS coding or Activity Coding because it does not match.
This is very helpful on a large 10k plus schedule.

Cheers Bill
Top
Wed, 2005-07-13 06:53
#5
Adnan Amjad
User offline. Last seen 18 years 18 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 May 2005
Posts: 8
Groups: None
No there is no co relation in WBS and Activity Codes. Very Simply speaking Activity Codes are flexible so they are used for different types of analysis of Project Plan Like Some Times u need to look the distribution of Resources acoording to months or some specific Work Catogory broken down monthly this all u can achieve with Activity Codes but WBS is just the clear breakdown of the Scope of ur Project.
Top
Mon, 2005-07-04 19:26
#6
Vanessa Morris
User offline. Last seen 18 years 30 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 4 Jul 2005
Posts: 13
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
So if you use WBS, does it mean you don’t need to use Activity Codes (or the other way around)? Do they complement each other?
Top
Fri, 2005-07-01 10:50
#7
James Bridges
User offline. Last seen 13 years 33 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 18
Groups: None
Vamsi,

This question has already been answered in the ’Planning & Sheduling’ section. Search on WBS to pick up the thread.

In short the WBS is a logical way of structuring a project for the way it will be built and managed. A WBS is used in Earned Value Analysis reporting when related to the cost plan.

In P3 the WBS allows you to summarise the project at the levels of the WBS without the need for ’hammocks’.

Regards,

James
Top