# Develop a Work Breakdown Structure

A work breakdown structure is a hierarchical breakdown of work, such as activities, tasks, and steps, defining a process.

Before creating a work breakdown structure, be sure that the configuration selected in the tool bar is the same as the configuration selected as the default configuration for your process.

To develop a work breakdown structure:

1. To access the work breakdown structure editor, select the Work Breakdown Structure tab in a process editor.
   Note: A breakdown structure is created with breakdown elements. Examples of breakdown elements are Phase, Iteration, Activity, or task descriptor. Typically, a process is created by defining its phases and iterations within or across these phases. Phases and iterations are then further broken down into levels of activities. Finally, you can populate a work breakdown structure's activity with task descriptors.
2. Right click the element (either a Capability Pattern or Delivery Process) to which you want to add structure, and then click New Child > Activity to create the new activity. If needed, create more activities to set up your breakdown structure. Activities (as well as phases and iterations) can be nested inside each other according to how each relates in the hierarchy.
3. Right click the activity and then select Properties to open the Properties view. Complete the information under the Documentation tab for the activity. This information appears in the published Web page for the activity.
4. Review the list of tasks in the configuration view to see which tasks are available.
5. Select a task to add to the breakdown structure and then drag it on top of the activity to which you want it to belong. The task is added as a task descriptor to that activity.
6. If the properties view for the activity is not displayed, select the task in the work breakdown structure editor, right click, and then select Properties. Click the Documentation tab and then complete the information required under this tab. This information appears in the published Web page for the activity. Use the tabs on the side of the properties view to review different aspects of the task descriptor. In the properties view, you can perform individual modifications of the task descriptor, such as change the presentation name, add textual descriptions, and change performing roles, among others. When changing the task descriptor's relationships under the roles or work products tabs, you can add new elements from your method content by clicking the Add... button, or connect your task descriptor with tasks already present in this activity. For more information, see Process Element Properties View.
7. Continue adding tasks to the activity or activities.

You can preview what your process will look like in a published Web site at any time by switching to the Browsing Perspective and then selecting the process, or an activity in the process, in the Configuration View. You can use the links on the page to navigate through the process. Switch back to the Authoring Perspective to continue editing your process.
Related tasks
Develop a Team Allocation Structure
Develop a Work Product Usage Structure