Create a common WBS

The common WBS consists of multiple WBS root elements, each representing a unique category of products. In the case of the defense industry, Mil-Std (Work Breakdown Structure for Defense Items) defines separate WBSs for different systems such as aircraft systems, electronic systems, missile systems, ordinance systems, sea systems, space systems, surface vehicle systems, and UAV systems. For a commercial product, your company can adopt a similar scheme.

Within the common WBS, a specific category may contain WBS elements with the same number but with different information including additional characteristics.

To create a common WBS library, first define the characteristics for your needs. You then create the WBS root element and the lower level WBS elements, and then apply those characteristics to the WBS elements where needed.

Procedure

1. Create filters to represent the characteristics of the common WBS. In Product Configurator in the rich client, create an options dictionary containing all possible filters (variability).

2. Create a configurator context from the options dictionary.

3. Open the configurator context and create variant rules to apply the filters.

4. Create the common WBS and root WBS elements for the common WBS.

5. Attach the configurator context to the common WBS root element.

   Note: See Product Configurator for more details about creating an options dictionary, a configurator context, and variant rules in the rich client.

6. In the Active Workspace, add new WBS elements under the root WBS node.

7. Apply filters to each WBS element, as necessary, from the Variant Conditions tab.