Parent–child hierarchy
Structure deliverables and tasks with clear parent links so the schedule reads as a tree, not a flat list. The activity register indents by depth so ownership and roll-up stay obvious at a glance.
Scope hierarchy
WBS planning
Structure scope into work packages with clear ownership—the foundation everything else in the programme builds from.
Structure work hierarchically from deliverables down to executable tasks so ownership, estimates, and progress roll up cleanly.
A sound WBS keeps scope visible, reduces duplication, and makes baselines and change control easier to explain and defend.
Align teams on what “done” means at each level, then link the WBS to schedules and costs for end-to-end traceability.
How WBS shows up in Deming+
Hierarchy, codes, and roll-ups are first-class in the activity register and utilities that flatten and sort the tree— the same structure feeds scheduling, exports, and AI context.
WBS codes
Codes follow the hierarchy (for example 1, 1.1, 1.2.3) based on structure and sibling order—so numbering stays consistent as you reorganize work without retyping outlines by hand.
Sibling ordering
Control how peers sort within each branch using display order, keeping narratives, exports, and reviews aligned with how your team talks about the work.
Date roll-up
Parent dates can roll up from children—earliest start, latest finish—so summary rows reflect what is happening below them and summary durations stay coherent with the detail.
Traceability
WBS identifiers flow into dependencies, budgets, claims, delay analysis, and previews so the same code ties scope to schedule, cost, and change conversations.
Reporting and exports
Include WBS in schedule-style previews and progress outputs so stakeholders see the same structure in briefings that planners maintain in the register.
AI-assisted structure
Describe scope in plain language and let the assistant suggest WBS-style grouping and tasks—then review before anything is committed to the plan.
Common questions
Related features
WBS structure underpins timelines, drivers, and assistant answers—open a project and build the tree alongside the Gantt.