ProjectLibre Academy · Portfolio, Project & Views

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

How indenting tasks on the Gantt builds the Work Breakdown Structure, and how to read the same hierarchy on the WBS chart.

Tagline: Scope tree first — indent summaries on the Gantt, then read the same hierarchy on the WBS chart.

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the hierarchical breakdown of project work — phases and summary packages above detailed activities. The Gantt emphasizes when; the WBS emphasizes what and where each piece sits in the scope tree. Indentation in the schedule and Project → WBS are two surfaces on the same structure.

Hierarchy cues from the Network video

Even without opening the WBS chart, the Network clip shows the shared structure:

Opening Gantt frames: Summary (30d) with indented children Design / Development / Document / Test / Rollout.
Sidebar under Project: Gantt | Usage | Network | WBS — WBS labeled, not selected.
On Network: Summary as grey parallelogram; when links delete/restore, Summary duration rolls (30d ↔ 25d ↔ 30d).

Gantt Summary with indented children before Network open Gantt — already-indented Summary children (WBS tree on the schedule) — from Network Diagram

Network Summary parallelogram vs task rectangles Network — Summary parallelogram vs task rectangles (same hierarchy as Gantt) — from Network Diagram

Surface 1 — Indent in Gantt builds the hierarchy

In Cloud 2.0 you build the WBS while you build the schedule. On Project → Gantt:

Enter tasks (and optional summary rows) in the spreadsheet.
Select the child task(s).
Use toolbar Indent (tooltip Indent in create-project / Gantt demos) so they nest under the task above.
The parent becomes a summary — collapsible, with duration and related data rolling up.
That indented structure corresponds to the Work Breakdown Structure.

Show a WBS column beside Name / ID to see codes such as 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.3.1 (Organization & Structures). Also covered briefly under Gantt Indent → WBS.

Gantt toolbar Indent control building WBS hierarchy Project → Gantt — toolbar Indent builds summary / WBS structure — from Create Project 3 ways

WBS codes column in the project schedule Schedule spreadsheet with WBS codes beside the task hierarchy — from Project & Resource Structure

Summary task after indent with rolled-up duration After indent — summary row rolls up duration (demo: 30d) — from Create Project 3 ways

Surface 2 — Project → WBS chart view

Path: left nav Project → WBS (with a project open).

The WBS view presents the same hierarchy visually — an org-chart / block diagram of summary work breaking into lower-level tasks. Use it when stakeholders need scope structure without living in the timeline.

Parent–child nesting: Project / phase summaries at the top; work packages and tasks below.
Node data (structures screenshots): task name, ID, duration, start, finish, % complete.
Shapes: summary vs task vs milestone nodes differ visually on the chart.
Collapse / expand: focus executives on summary packages; expand for detail.

WBS chart view hierarchical nodes Project → WBS — visual hierarchy / chart view — from Project & Resource Structure

Rollup of duration and data

Summaries aggregate child information up the tree. Project and Gantt views show duration (and other rolled information) summarizing at phase and project level. The Network view also shows: Summary duration updates when dependency logic changes (30d ↔ 25d ↔ 30d).

Practical habit from structures: refer to work by WBS code in reporting (example: WBS 3.3). For the RBS and OBS alongside it, see Organization & Structures.

Watch the WBS Video

Network Diagram — hierarchy cues only (Gantt indent already present; Summary parallelogram; WBS nav label).
Create Project 3 ways — Indent → summary / WBS rollup.
Gantt Chart create project — Indent → WBS on the Gantt surface.
ProjectLibre 2.0 full preview — hierarchical WBS + rollup.
Project & Resource Structure — WBS codes + chart view.