Work packages are not fun gifts we get delivered to us while working (although we wish!). They are actually the name given to an essential part of the work management process to keep projects on task and on time. Working in conjunction with a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), a work package maps your project scope and ensure that all steps are accounted for.

These work packages are the sequence of events, or the “sub-project,” that make up the individual parts within your main project. Think of them as the training runs that propel you forward toward that big race. If you are successful and finish each of your training runs, you are that much closer and more prepared to meet the final run head-on. While you can complete a project without a work package, the final outcome might not be as efficient as if you invested the time into using one.

The main characteristics of a work package

Work packages are not just randomly assigned. They have a specific purpose, and each task within a work package has a clear goal to complete. Each work package item will typically have the below characteristics assigned to it:

• It is a deliverable within the WBS
• It has an owner who is responsible for its completion
• It has a start and end date
• It has resources/costs associated with it
• It will have stakeholders invested in it

It’s important to remember that items within a work package must not be overcomplicated. Work packages are there to improve the efficiency of your project, not hinder it. Each work package item should be small and manageable so that it can be completed on time without any issues.

Creating a work package

This is the step that many businesses overlook. Jumping right to the main scope of a project without filling in all the blanks before you get there. If you don’t create a work package, you set yourself up for a hard road ahead. Completing these individual tasks along the way will give you tangible milestones to hit and get you one step closer to your goal.

When creating a successful work package, you should focus your efforts on these 4 steps:

1. Determine what needs to be delivered

In this step, you need to identify what will need to be delivered within the WBS. For example, if you are building a house, your work package might be “deliver foundation.” If you want to create a website, your work package might be “build a landing page” and “write the content.” These deliverables are individual steps that are not overly complicated or robust, and help you achieve the end goal. After all, you can’t create a website if you don’t build a landing page first.

2.) Assign an owner

Every work package must have an owner who is responsible for its completion. In our house example above, the owner of the work package “deliver foundation” might be the construction company. The owner of the work package “build a landing page” might be the web development company. Work package owners are responsible for making sure that each task is completed on time and within budget.

Also, when you assign an owner to a work package, it provides accountability and responsibility for its completion. It’s important to note that a work package can have more than one owner, especially if it’s a large and complex task. For example, the work package “write content” for our website might have multiple owners, such as a copywriter, graphic designers and editors. The same would apply if your task to build a landing page goes beyond basic formatting and requires several contributors to bring it come to live.

3.) Determine the start and end date

Work packages must have a start and an end date. This is important because it provides a timeline for the work package task and keeps everyone on track. The start and end date will be determined by the work package owner and should be realistic. For example, if you are building a house, you might give yourself two weeks to deliver the foundation. However, if you are writing content for a website, you might give yourself one week to write the content and another week to edit it.

It’s important to note that the start and end date can change, significantly if the scope of the work package changes. However, any changes should be approved by all stakeholders involved in the project.

4.) Determine the resources and costs associated with the work package

Work packages must-have resources and costs associated with them.  Tracking these costs helps you follow the progress of the work package and ensure that it is on budget. The resources can be anything from people to materials. For example, if you are building a house, your resources might be bricks, mortar, and workers. If you are writing content for a website, your resources might be a computer, an internet connection, and a copywriter.

Work packages are a vital part of every project. By following these four steps, you can create a successful work package that will help you to complete your project on time and within budget.

Project management to track your work packages

These work packages are like mini-projects unto themselves. In order to complete the final project in our examples above — building a house and creating a website — each subsequent task before it needs to be built out, assigned, budgeted, and finished.

To do this efficiently, a project management software program will help.

A project management platform like Hive is the perfect addition for tracking the progress of any work package. From its easy-to-use interface to its Gantt chart feature, you and your team will be able to see the progress of each task and adjust as needed. Hive also has automation for assigning repeat tasks and tasking features that can be set to individuals working on the projects or stakeholders as viewers of the progress. Work packages can quickly become overwhelming, but with the help of Hive, they can be easily managed.

How to use Hive to master work packages

You have determined what needs to be done, assigned an owner to the work package, set the deadline and determined the resources and costs associated with the work package. If you use a project management tool, such as Hive, you will have a way to keep track of your team’s progress with transparency and flexibility. Here are Hive features that will help you in mastering work packages: 

• Create a work package on Hive. Pro-tip: make this step easier using Hive’s templates.
• Break down the work package into tasks.
• Assign each task to a specific team member or team. 
• Set clear deadlines for each task.
• Use Hive’s task dependencies feature to identify and track any dependencies between the sub-work packages. 
• Add additional information about the work package using Hive’s custom fields, such as priority, status.
• Communicate with Hive’s chat, groups and voice features to check on progress and identify any potential issues.
• Create reports using Hive analytics. 

• Visualize the progress of your work packages using Hive’s dashboard.
• Use Hive’s integrations with other tools to streamline your workflow.

Do you use work packages? And if so — in what way? Leave your comments below, we would love to hear all about it!