Working with WBS Elements
Structuring Projects > Setting Up The Work Breakdown Structure > About Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)
If you have the Add/Edit/Delete WBS Except Costs/Financials project privilege, you can add, copy and paste, cut and paste, modify, or delete WBS elements.
Before you begin
To add, copy and paste, cut and paste, edit, or delete WBS elements, whether you are working with a single project or a group of projects, the grouping in your view must be configured to have the Level 1 Field list set to WBS. Either select this type of view from the Activity View list or, if necessary, modify the grouping, customize the view, or create a new view.
Add WBS elements
Except for the top level element of the WBS hierarchy, which represents the project, you can add a WBS element at the same level as an existing element (sibling) or at a subordinate level (child). At the top level of the WBS, you can add only child elements.
In addition to creating a brand new WBS element, you can create one from a template, or by copying a current WBS element and modifying the content.
Copy and Paste WBS elements
When you copy WBS elements, all activities and child WBSs are also copied.
When you copy WBS elements and paste them into the same project, all data except the following is copied:
- Summary data
- Activity feedback
- Relationships to activities that were not included in the copied WBS
- Documents from the content repository
- Status update history (for P6 Team Member interfaces)
When you copy WBS elements from one project and paste them into another, all data except the following is copied:
- Summary data
- Activity feedback
- Relationships to activities that were not included in the copied WBS
- Project and EPS activity codes
- Risk assignments
- Documents from the content repository
- Work products and documents (WP & docs)
- Status update history (for P6 Team Member interfaces)
You cannot copy a WBS if any of the following is true:
- All open projects are checked out in P6 Professional or are opened exclusively by another user.
- You do not have the required security privileges.
- You have Contributor project module access.
Cut and Paste WBS Elements
You cannot cut WBS elements from one project and paste them to another project. If you need to move WBS elements to a different project, copy the WBS elements and paste them to the new location, and then delete the original entries.
You cannot cut a WBS if any of the following is true:
- All open projects are checked out in P6 Professional or are opened exclusively by another user.
- You do not have the required security privileges.
- You have Contributor project module access.
Delete WBS elements
If you attempt to delete a WBS that has activities associated with it, you must specify what you want to do with the activities:
- To delete the WBS, but reassign its activities to the parent WBS, select Merge.
- To delete both the WBS and its associated activities, select Delete.
Note: These two options also appear if the WBS has both activities and planned resource allocations. However, resource allocations cannot be merged. Regardless of the option you choose, the planned resource allocations are deleted. For this reason, when a WBS has planned resource allocations but no activities, these options do not appear.
Related Topics
Creating a WBS from a Template
Configuring General WBS Information
Defining Earned Value Calculations for WBS Elements
Last Published Tuesday, March 26, 2024