Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

As my project charter I chose a construction project to remodel a home kitchen. The reason I chose this project is because of my fascination with home projects and remodeling ideas that I watch on television. I am a big fan of shown like Property Brother and Treehouse Masters just to name a few. I can perform basic maintenance around my home and even assisted in a couple of do-it-yourself projects, but nothing to the extent of remodeling a kitchen off my own experience or merit. Regarding project or industry background experience, I have little to none. I do recall in my younger years building a home with my entire family from the ground up. This included obtaining supplies, measuring wood for framework, clearing the land for the foundation, and several other steps it takes to complete the construction project.

This project will have a team, a project completion date, a budget with several assumptions or constraints. Some of these assumptions or constraints will differ and are in no order. One would have to assume that some team members will have to miss days that may cause a delay in project completion due to illness or emergency situations or constraints such as material shortage or a delay in shipment due to the impact of the overall country due to the current pandemic. Are the materials available? Do we have enough time to adjust the drawings and find new material that is readily available because the client changed their mind? Do we have enough money to cover this project, or do we need to decrease or increase the budget? Did we take into the weather conditions as to prevent damaging the material if we do not have ample storage? These are a few assumptions or constraints that come to mind when preparing for a construction project for a kitchen remodel.

Finally, there needs to be an alternative plan just in case things go awry. Let’s pretend the owner wants to go with a different color on the backsplash and they can get it shipped the following day, is there enough time to provide for their request? Is there an upcharge or different cost in pricing for the material which may increase the overall cost of the budget? There will also be limitations or restrictions that will need to be addressed prior to the start of the project that the team and the customer must agree upon to keep all parties involved happy. Even though no project is without some obstacles, have all your constraints, assumptions, and scope identified prior to starting as part of your plan. In doing so, the transition to completing your project is much more polished and smoother. This will alleviate some of the stressors that come with completing a project.