Product Breakdown Structure Example

This example of a product breakdown structure is a hierarchical structure of items the project will produce or outcomes it will deliver. It can be viewed as the project's "shopping list." In the form of a hierarchical structure, it decomposes a "Main Project Product" into its constituent parts. A typical product breakdown structure (PBS) for a simple project is shown in the example below. It is worth noting that "internal" products (those created by the project) are distinguished from "external" products (those either supplied by another project or bought in). Also, products are couched as nouns or as an outcome described in the past tense - for example, "Test Plan" or "Training Delivered."