Phases, work packages and tasks: a simple project structure
A simple structure for client projects has three levels: phases the client recognizes, work packages with an hour estimate and a rate, and tasks your team logs time on. Three levels are enough to plan the work, price it and bill it, without turning the plan into a second job.
Project managers call this a work breakdown structure. Large programs can run to six or seven levels; a studio, an agency or a consultancy rarely needs more than three. This guide shows what each level is for, how to split a real project, and how the same structure looks in Swiftly Workspace.
What each level is for
| Level | What it is | Who cares most | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase | A stage of the project with a clear end | The client | Discovery, Design, Build, Launch |
| Work package | A deliverable you can estimate and price | The project lead | Homepage design, 24 hours |
| Task | A concrete piece of work someone does | The team | Wireframe the pricing section |
The test for each level is simple. A phase should mean something in a status update to the client. A work package should be small enough to estimate with a straight face. A task should be clear enough that two people would not argue about whether it is done.
How to split a client project
- Start from what the client signs off. Each sign-off moment is a phase boundary: approved concept, approved design, go-live.
- List the deliverables inside each phase. Each one becomes a work package. Give it an hour estimate and the rate you will charge.
- Add tasks where the work is shared or long. A work package one person finishes in a day doesn't need tasks. One that runs for weeks across three people does.
- Decide where time is logged. On fixed-price work, logging time per phase may be enough. If you bill by the hour or want to learn from your estimates, log it per work package or per task.
- Check the totals. Add up the work packages of each phase and compare them with what you quoted. If they don't match, fix the plan now, not in the final week.
Common mistakes
- One phase for everything. A project with a single phase hides progress from the client and from you. Split it at the earliest real sign-off.
- Phases named after departments. "Design team" is not a phase; "Design" with an end date is.
- Work packages that are really tasks. If you have forty work packages of two hours each, you have a task list, and your estimates will be noise.
- Tasks nobody logs time on. If time goes to the work package anyway, tasks just add clicks. Keep them for the work where the detail pays off.
- Re-planning by editing history. When scope moves, keep the old plan for reference and make a new version, so you can still see what you promised.
A clear structure also makes the scheduling question easier, whether you end up with a Gantt chart, a Kanban board or both, and it is the backbone of tracking a project budget as the work goes on.
Phases, work packages and tasks in Swiftly Workspace
Swiftly organizes every project in exactly these three levels, and every work package carries its own budgeted amount.
- Phases. A project's Phase tab lists its phases with their type, revision, status and cost. A phase has a Name, a Type and a Currency. It starts as a draft and moves on with Submit for Approval and Approve. When scope changes, Clone (new revision) makes a new version and keeps the old one.
- Work packages. Each one has a description, Estimated Hours and an Hourly Rate, which together give its Budgeted Amount, plus a Billable switch.
- Tasks. A task has a name, a status, Planned Hours and optional start and end dates, and can be marked billable or as a Milestone.
- Where time goes. Each project's Time-entry granularity setting decides whether people log hours on a phase, a work package or a task.
On a Mac, each level opens in a window of its own: a phase window with a Work Packages tab, and a work package window with a Tasks tab. On iPhone and iPad, the project's Phase tab shows the whole tree in a Phase → Work Package → Task outline. Step-by-step guides: setting up a project on Mac and setting up a project on iPhone or iPad. Once the work starts, how timesheet approval works covers the hours that flow in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a work package and a task?
A work package is a deliverable you estimate and price, such as a homepage design. A task is a piece of work inside it, such as wireframing one section. Clients see work packages; your team works in tasks.
How many levels should a project structure have?
For many client projects, three: phases, work packages and tasks. Fewer makes estimates too coarse to learn from; more makes the plan expensive to keep up to date.
Should every task have an hour estimate?
Not necessarily. Estimate at the work package level, where the price is set. Add planned hours to tasks when several people share a work package and you want to see who carries what.
Is a phase the same as a milestone?
No. A phase is a stretch of work; a milestone is a moment, often the end of a phase or a delivery the client signs off. Many teams mark one milestone per phase.
Run your business on Apple.
Create your account on the web, then set up your workspace in the app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac.
Create your account
