<Insert Project Name>

Created 8 May 2008

PRINCE2 - Product Breakdown

Structure
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Note: This document is only valid on the day it was printed
The source of this document will be found with the plan to which the
breakdown applies, which could be in either the project or stage files.

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Crown copyright 2008. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and
the Queens Printer for Scotland
PRINCE2 is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other
countries
page 1 of 4

<Insert Project Name>

Created 8 May 2008

Crown copyright 2008. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and
the Queens Printer for Scotland
PRINCE2 is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other
countries
page 2 of 4

Product Breakdown Structure <Insert Project Name>

Created on 8 May 2008

Overview
Purpose

To show all the products to be developed and quality controlled. To understand

the content and function of all products to be developed.

Contents
Advice

The product breakdown structure diagram is shown over page.

The Product Breakdown Structure should be derived from the Project Brief and
Project Quality Plan.
Ensure that:
External products and project products are included
The Product Breakdown Structure is consistent with the Product
Checklist
Genuine integration products (i.e. non-bottom level but requiring a
separate Product Description) are distinguished from collective
groupings (memory joggers)
Management and specialist products are identified and distinguished
Product Descriptions for the bottom-level products can be written
without further decomposition
Enough bottom level products have been identified to meet
management planning and control requirements
The combination of all products identified will fulfil the business need
All quality products have been identified that meet the needs of
customer, audit and Project Assurance as described in the Project
Quality Plan.
Note that:
The External Products in the Product Breakdown Structure should be
clearly distinguished from the products developed by the project.
The PRINCE2 convention is for project products to be shown as
rectangles, product groupings as rhomboids and external products as
ellipses.

Crown copyright 2008. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and
the Queens Printer for Scotland
PRINCE2 is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce in the United Kingdom and other
countries
page 3 of 4

Product Breakdown Structure

<Insert Project Name>

Created on 8 May 2008

Crown copyright 2008. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queens Printer for Scotland
PRINCE2 is a Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce
page 4 of 4