How to create a resource breakdown structure

[jrineakter]

Celebrity chef and author Anthony Bourdain ran his kitchens using the brigade system. He divided the kitchen into stations that prepared the components of the meal. Each station was staffed by kitchen assistants, cooks, and busboys, with their own ingredients, tools, and workspaces.

With this structure, he says, "the multiple tasks of a large, busy kitchen could be managed and coordinated by one person, the chef, even during peak hours."

In the business world, such a hierarchy would be called a resource breakdown structure. What is that? Let's find out.

Understanding the resource breakdown structure
A Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS) is a list of all the resources needed to complete a project organized in a hierarchy. These resources can be human, material, financial, informational, and even time.

It is a resource management tool, usually benin number data organized in several levels, with the project goal at the top and several resource categories branching out at each phase. It covers all resources that cost money, excluding money itself.

And most importantly, an RBS is not an island. It works closely with various project planning activities such as the work breakdown structure, risk breakdown structure , etc. Here's how.

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is the document that breaks down work into small, manageable tasks. A good WBS will correspond to this document, indicating what resources will be needed at each stage.

For example, if a software development project is divided into the minimum viable product (MVP) phase, phases 1, 2, etc., the WBS will list the resources needed in each phase. In the minimum viable product phase, you may need to:


Another aspect that RBS aligns with is the risk breakdown structure. Risks exist at every stage of work. Various ERP software tools connect RBS, WBS, and risk breakdown structure to get a complete view.

For example, there may be performance issues in the MVP phase. If there are multiple team members working on the MVP, you could face security risks. If you are collecting user information, there may be data privacy risks.

The resource breakdown structure includes the components required to mitigate these risks at each phase. During the MVP phase, the RBS will likely include additional resources for the cloud infrastructure. When there is significant traction, the RBS might add security engineers or consultants to the roster.

Now that we have outlined the basics of the resource breakdown structure, let's look at how it is used in project management.

The role and importance of RBS in project management
The resource breakdown structure is one of many frameworks that project managers use to plan and execute. It plays a critical role throughout the project lifecycle. Here's how.

Resource allocation
When you know what resources you need to complete a project, you can hire, train, and assign the right ones at the right time. The RBS serves as a roadmap for resource allocation throughout the project.

For example, if the RBS states that the third sprint needs additional developers, the project manager can find a way to hire/onboard resources well in advance.

Programming
Although scheduling is more influenced by the work breakdown structure than by the WBS, the WBS still plays a key role. By examining the WBS and RBS together, project managers can schedule work based on resource availability.

For example, if you only have one Scala developer, who is busy with another project when you need him, you can use RBS to reschedule work based on his availability instead of hiring additional people.

Workload distribution
The resource breakdown structure identifies up front what the project needs: how many people, for how long, over what period, etc. If the development phase needs the maximum resources, you can hire/onboard additional talent and evenly distribute the workload.