Work Breakdown Structure Template

You’ve got a dozen things on your plate: timelines to coordinate, teams to manage, and project deliverables that just keep multiplying. Perhaps you've tried to manage everything using a spreadsheet or whiteboard, only to find that it falls short.

Large projects can get messy fast with multiple teams, shifting timelines, and scattered deliverables. Asana’s work breakdown structure template helps you organize complex projects into smaller, manageable tasks you can track from start to finish.

Who benefits from this work breakdown structure template?

Taking over a large project often means stepping into chaos with sticky notes everywhere, scattered docs, and a team unsure of who's doing what. It's a familiar scene and one that we've designed our simple work breakdown structure template to solve.

Across industries, we've seen project managers, operations teams, and construction planners rely on WBS templates to stay organized. Templates like this one save time by providing a head start and introducing consistency to complex planning processes. If you're looking for a deeper dive into how to create a work breakdown structure or need expert tips, check out our complete work breakdown structure guide.

Use this work breakdown structure template to:

• Help product managers, project coordinators, and cross-functional team leads define the complete scope of work and major deliverables.

• Support Agile teams, consultants, and engineering managers in breaking down work into smaller tasks and work packages.

• Assist operations teams, IT leaders, and program managers in clarifying project task dependencies and critical paths across workflows.

• Enable creative agencies, enterprise PMOs, and remote teams to align team members and stakeholders at every project phase.

Whether you're managing a product launch, an Agile sprint, or a construction project, this WBS template provides a clear, hierarchical structure to plan and track every aspect of the project scope.

Why use an Asana work breakdown structure template?

One of our customers used this WBS template to coordinate a new product rollout that involved design, engineering, and marketing. They quickly mapped all deliverables on a project timeline, clarified ownership, and hit deadlines without the usual chaos.

With this WBS chart template, you can:

• Organize work visually with a hierarchical tree diagram, flowchart, or Gantt chart view.

• Track progress across milestones and subtasks in real time.

• Streamline project work by pre-structuring workflows and dependencies.

• Clarify project scope early to avoid scope creep and missed deadlines.

• Align the project team around clear goals, realistic timelines, and defined task ownership.

• Improve estimates for cost, effort, and duration by defining work packages.

• Improve team communication by clearly defining roles and responsibilities.

• Identify risks by breaking down work and surfacing challenges sooner.

How to use this work breakdown structure template

1. Duplicate the template project. Start by creating a copy of the WBS template and renaming it based on your specific project. Consider naming conventions that reflect your project code, department, or timeline, such as "Q4 Site Launch WBS" or "Marketing Roadmap 2026".

2. Define top-level deliverables. Add your major project phases or outputs as sections. For example: planning, design, implementation, testing, and launch. These should reflect key milestones or handoff points that structure your overall project plan.

3. Break down each deliverable into work packages. Under each section, add tasks representing the key components or smaller tasks required. Think of each work package as a self-contained unit of project work that can be assigned, tracked, and budgeted independently.

4. Add subtasks and dependencies. Create subtasks for detailed action items that roll up into your work packages. Use dependencies to show which tasks rely on others. This will help your team understand what needs to happen first and avoid bottlenecks during the project lifecycle.

5. Assign owners and due dates. Make responsibilities clear by assigning each task to a team member. Use start and due dates to accurately reflect the actual duration and sequence of work, especially when tasks overlap or require coordination across multiple teams. This also helps clarify ownership during project initiation.

6. Track project progress. Use Timeline View for a visual Gantt-style overview, or switch to List View for a straightforward task list. Monitor progress against milestones, adjust project timelines when blockers arise, and update status fields to keep everyone aligned with your project goals.

Asana features that organize project management

The right features can make your work breakdown structure template more powerful and a lot easier to manage. There are plenty more features in Asana, but these are our go-to tools for streamlining work and clarifying responsibilities.

• Project Views: Choose the best view for your team: List, Calendar, Gantt chart (Timeline), or Kanban Board. Each view helps visualize and organize the work project schedule your way.

• Tasks, Subtasks, and Dependencies: Break down project work into actionable units. Use tasks and subtasks to define each step and dependencies to map the order of work. This helps your team see the full flow of execution and stay on schedule.

• Milestones and Goals: Identify important progress points and define project goals to guide your team throughout the work. Celebrate achievements and stay focused on what matters most.

• Custom Fields: Tag specific tasks by phase, priority, or status to filter and organize your work. Customize fields to match your workflow.

• Reporting Dashboards: Track key metrics, visualize performance, and share real-time updates with stakeholders. Use charts and graphs to keep your project team and leadership aligned.

• Workload: See who’s busy and who has bandwidth with a visual view of team capacity. Balance workloads and prevent burnout by redistributing tasks.

Recommended integrations

Integrations link Asana with your favorite tools, allowing you to avoid jumping between platforms, automate processes, and keep all your work in one place. Want even more? Explore our full library of 300+ apps.

• Float: Manage resource scheduling and availability in real time. Float helps teams coordinate workloads and timelines alongside your WBS.

• Agile Effect: Bring agile methodologies into your WBS. Use Agile Effect to create sprints, track velocity, and integrate story points into Asana.

• Kissflow: Automate workflow approvals and task handoffs with Kissflow. Simplify processes associated with your WBS and reduce manual follow-ups.

• Everhour: Track time directly on Asana tasks. Everhour makes it easy to budget, invoice, and measure time spent on WBS deliverables.

• Microsoft Office: Attach and share Word documents and Excel spreadsheets directly in Asana. Keep all supporting files linked to your work breakdown structure template in one place.

• Google Sheets: Sync Asana tasks with Google Sheets to generate detailed reports and visualize progress across deliverables.

• Gmail: Turn emails into tasks in one click to capture work as it comes in. Maintain project clarity without switching tools.

• Slack: Create Asana tasks directly from Slack conversations. Keep communication actionable and organized.

• Zoom: Plan and follow up on project meetings with Zoom. Sync recordings and action items directly to Asana.

• Dropbox: Attach project files from Dropbox directly to Asana tasks. Keep all documentation linked to the relevant work.

FAQs about work breakdown structure templates