WBS↔LINK

Schedule. WBS. Cost. Connected.

Major projects often describe the same work differently across schedule and cost systems. WBS↔LINK is an early-stage concept for creating a reviewable mapping layer between them.

Try the challengeRequest beta accessSee how it works

Same work. Different structures.

WBS↔LINK maps schedule activities and cost structures to a common Work Breakdown Structure, and surfaces the links that need review.

Map. Review. Reuse.

MAPDesigned to propose the relationship between each schedule activity or cost line and the WBS.
REVIEWDesigned to surface uncertain links for a person to confirm rather than quietly assuming them.
REUSEDesigned to carry approved relationships into later reporting cycles, with checks for structural change.

Think you can build the crosswalk?

We've built a fictional capital project across three monthly reporting cycles, with schedule, cost, Work Breakdown Structure and contractor records.

Your challenge is to connect them.

Excel. Power Query. SQL. Python. AI. Whatever you use.

Map it. Submit your results. See how your approach scores against the benchmark and other submissions.

But the score is only part of it. WBS↔LINK is still early. We want experienced project controls professionals to tell us where the benchmark falls short of the real thing.

What would make this harder on your projects? What have we missed?

Your experience will help shape the next version of the challenge and, ultimately, WBS↔LINK itself.

  1. Download the fictional project files. The practice set includes its reference mapping.
  2. Map each schedule activity and cost line, plus supporting contractor records, to a WBS element, or mark it NO_WBS, NEW_SCOPE or UNSURE. The challenge README defines each answer and the required record IDs.
  3. Don't guess. UNSURE is an honest answer.
  4. Practice first. Practice is repeatable. The hidden Challenge set allows one scored attempt per GitHub user.
  5. Score: a published trust-weighted score rewards supported mappings and penalizes confident wrong mappings most heavily.

A missing mapping creates a question. A confident wrong mapping creates a reporting risk.

Take the ChallengeStart with PracticeHow It WorksSubmit results

Leaderboard · Check two of your own files privately (nothing is uploaded)

Have this problem on a live project?

We’re inviting a small number of project teams to test WBS↔LINK against real schedule, cost and WBS structures.

Please don’t submit confidential, client or employer project information here. If there’s a potential fit, we’ll arrange appropriate data sharing separately.

Your submission is used only to evaluate potential WBS↔LINK beta participation. No project files are requested through this form.

This form is processed by Formspree. Do not include confidential project information.

Built from the problem, not around it.

WBS↔LINK was developed around a recurring capital-project controls problem: schedule and cost structures that do not reliably align to a common WBS.

Built from hands-on capital-project experience spanning engineering, project management, finance and project delivery.

WBS↔LINK started with a simple question: why are experienced project teams still rebuilding the same crosswalks every reporting cycle?

Share a pattern you see on real projects · Tell us what the crosswalk costs you