The Importance of the OBS
Have you ever worked on a project that did not have an Organizational Breakdown Structure? What happened? More than likely, project staff did not know who else was working on the different parts of the project, and did not know who to ask when questions arose. The OBS helps project staff understand how they fit into the overall project and how information flows between the units delivering the project.
Creating the OBS
To create the OBS, complete the following steps:
- Decide whether each subproject is to be performed directly by the delivery organization, another IBM performing organization, the sponsor or customer, or the subcontractor. Ensure that the selected performing organization has the skills and experience necessary to complete the subproject.
- For each project unit, identify and assign the subprojects.
- If one project unit has responsibility to manage other project organizational units, clearly assign this responsibility in the OBS.
- If a sponsor or customer is responsible for completing one or more subprojects, document the sponsor's or customer's responsibilities as part of the agreement.
- If third-party performing organizations are required, start the process of choosing a subcontractor.