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전규현 (Jeon gyuhyeon)
전규현 (Jeon gyuhyeon)

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Living WBS: Turning Dead Documents into Active Tools

#productivity #management #tooling

"I made a WBS but no one looks at it."

A common complaint from many PMs. A WBS that took days to make at project start is collecting dust within 2 weeks.

Why does a WBS made with effort die?

The answer is simple. Because WBS was made as a "document". It needs to be made as a living "tool".

Dead WBS vs Living WBS

Life of a Dead WBS 

Day 1: "Perfect WBS complete!" 🎉
Day 7: "Hmm... it's a bit different from reality"
Day 14: "WBS? Where was that?"
Day 21: "Let's just go by feel"
Day 30: "Where did the WBS file go?" (Already too late)
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Time invested: 16 hours
Usage: 0%
ROI: -100%

A Day in the Life of Living WBS 

09:00: "What should I do today?" → Check WBS
10:00: Start Task → Update status
12:00: 50% progress → Automatically reflected
15:00: Issue occurs → Immediately record
17:00: Task complete → Check next task
18:00: Daily report → Auto-generated
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Time invested: 16 hours
Daily use: 10 minutes
ROI: 1000%+

Why Does WBS Die?

1. Made Once and Done

Projects are alive and moving, but WBS is frozen. The plan from day one can't be valid until the last day.

2. Updates Are Annoying 

Old Way:
1. Find Excel file (2 min)
2. Check latest version (3 min)
3. Edit (5 min)
4. Save and share (2 min)
5. "I edited it" email (3 min)
Total: 15 minutes

Update 3 times a day? 45 minutes wasted
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3. Disconnected from Reality

WBS: "API Development 16 hours"
Reality: "Already used 24 hours but still..."

When this gap occurs, no one trusts the WBS.

5 Principles of Living WBS

1. Daily Touchpoint

WBS should be seen at least 3 times a day.

Morning: Check today's tasks
Lunch: Update progress
Evening: Mark complete, prepare tomorrow

// Automate daily routine
const dailyRoutine = {
  morning: {
    time: '09:00',
    action: 'Auto-assign today's tasks',
    notification: 'Send to Slack',
  },
  lunch: {
    time: '12:00',
    action: 'Progress check alert',
    question: 'How's the morning work going?',
  },
  evening: {
    time: '18:00',
    action: 'Generate daily summary',
    report: 'Auto-organize completed/in-progress/blockers',
  },
};
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2. Real-Time Sync

When one team member updates, everyone sees it immediately.

# Before: File-based
def update_wbs_old():
    # 1. Download file
    # 2. Edit
    # 3. Upload
    # 4. Share via email
    # 5. Resolve conflicts...
    time_wasted = "30 minutes"

# After: Cloud-based
def update_wbs_new():
    # One click
    # Immediately reflected to everyone
    time_spent = "5 seconds"
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3. Visual Progress

Graphs are more powerful than numbers.

Overall Progress: ████████░░ 80%

This Week Burndown:
Mon ████████████ 12 tasks
Tue ██████████   10 tasks
Wed ████████     8 tasks
Thu ██████       6 tasks (current)
Fri ????         ? tasks (expected: 3)
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Everyone pays attention because it's visible at a glance.

4. Blocker Alert

When problems occur, notify immediately.

Blocker Occurred:
  task: 'Payment API Integration'
  blocker: 'PG API documentation mismatch'
  impact: '2 days delay expected'

Auto Actions:
  - Immediately notify PM
  - Gather related team members
  - Suggest alternative path
  - Simulate schedule adjustment
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5. Predictability

Predict the future with past data.

def predict_completion():
    """Predict future with past velocity"""

    completed_tasks = 45
    remaining_tasks = 15
    days_elapsed = 10

    daily_velocity = completed_tasks / days_elapsed  # 4.5 tasks/day
    days_remaining = remaining_tasks / daily_velocity  # 3.3 days

    return {
        "Expected completion": "3 days later",
        "Confidence": "85%",
        "Risk": "If 1 team member on vacation, extends to 5 days"
    }
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Real Application Cases

Case 1: Startup A Team

Before (Dead WBS)

  • WBS update cycle: Once every 2 weeks
  • Accuracy: 30%
  • Project delay: Always

After (Living WBS)

  • WBS update: Real-time
  • Accuracy: 90%
  • Project: Completed 3 days early

Change Points:

  1. Excel → Cloud tool transition
  2. Weekly update → Daily standup integration
  3. PM alone → Whole team participation

Case 2: Enterprise B Team

Problem: 50-person project, WBS too complex

Solution: Hierarchical views

CEO View: Overall progress only (1 number)
├── PM View: Major milestones (10 items)
│   ├── Team Lead View: Sprint goals (50 items)
│   │   └── Developer View: Daily tasks (500 items)
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Everyone uses WBS because they only see what they need.

Living WBS Implementation Strategy

Step 1: Tool Selection

Essential Features:

  • Real-time collaboration
  • Mobile support
  • Notification features
  • API integration
  • Visualization

Recommended Tools:

  • Plexo: WBS specialized, real-time sync
  • Jira: Developer-friendly
  • Monday: Strong visualization

Step 2: Build Habits 

## Daily WBS Checklist

### Morning (5 min)

- [ ] Check yesterday's completed tasks
- [ ] Select today's tasks
- [ ] Enter estimated time

### Lunch (2 min)

- [ ] Update morning task progress
- [ ] Mark blockers if any

### Before Leaving (3 min)

- [ ] Mark today's tasks complete
- [ ] Preview tomorrow's tasks
- [ ] Comment if issues
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Step 3: Build Team Culture

Make WBS a Culture:

  • Standup meetings: Proceed while sharing WBS screen
  • Code commits: Include WBS task number
  • Performance evaluation: Reflect WBS completion rate

Making It Alive with Automation

Git Integration 

# Include WBS number in commit message
git commit -m "[WBS-123] Login API implementation complete"

# Automatically update WBS
# WBS-123: In Progress → Complete
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CI/CD Integration 

# Auto-update WBS on deployment success
deploy:
  on_success:
    - update_wbs_task("DEPLOY-01", "completed")
    - notify_team("Deployment complete!")
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Calendar Integration 

// WBS due date → Google Calendar
function syncToCalendar(task) {
  calendar.createEvent({
    title: `[WBS] ${task.name}`,
    date: task.dueDate,
    reminder: '1 day before',
  });
}
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ROI of Living WBS

Actual measurement results:

Time Savings

  • Daily status meeting: 30 min → 10 min
  • Weekly report writing: 2 hours → Automatic
  • Progress understanding: Instant

Quality Improvement

  • Schedule accuracy: 50% → 85%
  • Blocker resolution time: 2 days → 4 hours
  • Team satisfaction: 2x increase

Cost Reduction

  • Project delay reduction: 80%
  • Rework reduction: 60%
  • Communication cost: 50% reduction

Precautions

Avoid Excessive Updates 

❌ Bad Example:
- Update every 10 minutes
- Record every detail
- Progress in 1% units

✅ Good Example:
- Update on meaningful progress
- Record only key information
- Progress in 25% units
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Don't Be Dependent on Tools

Tools are just means. What's important is the habit of checking and updating daily.

Conclusion: WBS is Like a Garden

WBS is like a garden. Make it once and leave it, and only weeds grow. Water and tend it daily, and beautiful flowers bloom.

Core of Living WBS:

  1. Touch daily
  2. Real-time sync
  3. Visualization
  4. Automation
  5. Team participation

Make a living tool instead of a dead document.

The project comes alive.

Need real-time living WBS management? Check out Plexo.

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