Work breakdown structure

![Example of work breakdown structure applied in a NASA reporting structure.[2]](/uploads/202502/21/NASA_NF_533_reporting_structure1333.jpg)
![Example from MIL-HDBK-881, which illustrates the first three levels of a typical aircraft system.[11]](/uploads/202502/21/Work_Breakdown_Structure_of_Aircraft_System1333.jpg)

A work breakdown structure (WBS), in project management and systems engineering, is a deliverable-oriented decomposition of a project into smaller components. A work breakdown structure is a key project deliverable that organizes the team's work into manageable sections. The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK 5) defines the work breakdown structure as a "A hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables."