Appendix: Implementing a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - Intergraph Smart 3D - Help

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WBS functionality can provide significant benefits to the project, especially in the later stages of engineering and during construction. Careful planning and decision making based on a study of the following factors will lead to successful implementation of WBS functionality on projects.

  • Decide on Required WBS Type and Purpose – You can modify WBS type and purpose by changing the delivered codelist. The exclusive flag setting must be considered while customizing this list, because the exclusive setting is valid across a given type and purpose value. For example, it is beneficial to use the exclusive flag while creating WBS items for isometric drawing generation so that a single component does not accidentally show up in multiple isometric drawings. However, there could be multiple isometric drawings for the same pipeline, such as a fabrication isometric and a stress isometric. This results in the requirement to have multiple WBS purpose values that match the type of isometric drawing. Similar consideration applies for contract types.

  • Understand Usage of WBS Items in Terms of Software Operation – How the WBS items you create are used drives the type of design objects to be assigned to the WBS item. For example, if the WBS is being used to generate single sheet isometrics, then piping parts should be assigned. This is because the isometric generation code in the Drawings and Reports task looks for the collection of piping parts in order to generate the piping isometric. In the software, the isometric generation code automatically looks for connections and pipe supports connected to these parts. As such, there is no need to explicitly assign connections to the WBS item. In another example, if a pipeline can only belong to a single painting contract and the objective of the contract definition is to estimate materials, then it might be easier to assign the pipeline (design object) to a contract (WBS item). A custom report can expand the pipeline into individual parts to calculate surface area and estimate. In general, it is better to assign as few objects as possible to a WBS item. This reduces the work involved in assignment and also minimizes the number of relationships stored in the database.

  • Select WBS Assignment Method – WBS assignments can be done manually after the objects are placed, automatically during initial placement, or automatically after placement through a custom command. Choosing the right method for your specific usage is largely determined by two factors: the number of WBS items expected and the moment in time when the WBS items can be defined. For example, if the WBS is being used to define design areas, the number of design areas in a typical project is limited, perhaps up to a few dozen. Because design areas can be defined very early in a project cycle, it is reasonable to use the automatic assignment by setting the active WBS item during modeling. On the other hand, if the WBS is being used to define single sheet isometrics, there can potentially be thousands of sheets in a typical project. Because the number of sheets and the naming of those sheets cannot be defined in advance of modeling, the automated creation of WBS items and the automated assignment of design objects after placement becomes necessary. As a result, a custom command may have to be created in order to implement WBS on a project.

  • Access Control and Status Management – As mentioned previously, in order to assign objects to a WBS item, you must have Write permission to that WBS Item. The assignment method chosen must take this into consideration. In a Global Workshare Configuration, for example, a single WBS Item cannot be shared across multiple locations because the users at the remote location cannot assign objects to the WBS item owned by the host or the other location. It is important to clearly define how the status of WBS items is managed. In an isometric generation using a WBS scenario where an isometric drawing is issued/approved, the WBS items that represent the drawing and the actual pipeline in the model must be locked using Approval status. Leaving either one in a modifiable state can allow significant changes to the isometric drawing