Scopes & Work Breakdown Structure

While the BOQ defines what the client wants delivered, Scopes define how the contractor will execute the work. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) organizes these execution activities into a manageable hierarchy. Together, Scopes and WBS form the backbone of project planning and cost control in JobNext.

What Are Scopes?

A Scope is an execution activity — a specific piece of work that your team needs to perform to fulfill the client's requirements. Scopes represent the contractor's internal view of the project, broken down into activities that can be estimated, scheduled, and tracked independently.

For example, a single BOQ item "Providing and laying RCC M25 grade concrete for foundation" might require multiple execution activities:

• Excavation for foundation
• PCC bed laying
• Reinforcement steel cutting and bending
• Formwork erection
• Concrete pouring
• Curing

Each of these would be a separate Scope in JobNext, all linked back to the same BOQ item.

WBS Hierarchy

The Work Breakdown Structure organizes Scopes into a four-level hierarchy:

A typical WBS tree looks like this:

• Civil Works (Package)
  • Foundation (Parent Scope Group)
    • Footing (Scope Group)
      • Excavation for Footing (Scope)
      • PCC for Footing (Scope)
      • Reinforcement for Footing (Scope)
      • RCC M25 for Footing (Scope)
    • Raft (Scope Group)
      • Excavation for Raft (Scope)
      • Waterproofing for Raft (Scope)
      • RCC M30 for Raft (Scope)

WBS Templates

Creating a WBS from scratch for every job is time-consuming. JobNext provides a WBS Template library that contains pre-defined work breakdown structures based on common construction activities.

Using WBS Templates

1. Navigate to the Scopes & WBS section within your Job.
2. Click Import from Template.
3. Browse the template library and select the template that best matches your project type.
4. Select which packages and scope groups you want to import (you can choose a subset).
5. Click Import to bring the selected items into your Job's WBS.
6. Customize the imported scopes as needed — rename items, adjust quantities, or add/remove scopes.

BOQ Items vs. Scopes

Understanding the distinction between BOQ items and Scopes is critical:

Linking Rules

Scopes and BOQ items are linked together using specific rules:

• A Scope links to exactly one BOQ item. Each scope must be associated with a single BOQ item. This ensures that every execution activity contributes to a specific client deliverable.
• A BOQ item can have multiple Scopes. A single deliverable often requires several execution activities to complete. All scopes linked to the same BOQ item collectively contribute to fulfilling that deliverable.
• Unlinked Scopes are allowed. Some execution activities (like site mobilization or temporary works) may not map to any specific BOQ item. These scopes can exist without a BOQ link but are still important for cost tracking.

BOQ Conversion Factor

Since BOQ items and Scopes often use different units of measurement, JobNext uses a Conversion Factor to translate between them.

For example, a BOQ item might measure concrete work in Cum (cubic meters), but the scope for reinforcement steel is measured in Kg. The conversion factor defines the relationship: for every 1 Cum of RCC work in the BOQ, approximately 80 Kg of reinforcement steel is needed in the scope.

The conversion factor is set when linking a scope to a BOQ item. It can be adjusted later if the engineering assumptions change, though this will require updating the related estimates as well.