Reference: Breakdown Structure

A breakdown structure is the hierarchical system used to organize all the components and elements within a facility.

The example illustrates a project breakdown structure according to ISO 10209.

It is typically used in engineering and project management, to clearly define the scope of a project by breaking down the asset into its individual areas, systems, and sub-systems, allowing for efficient planning and management of construction or maintenance activities; essentially, outlining "what needs to be built" within a project. This produces a unique assignment of technical documents and data supporting the project.

The breakdown structure must be consistent within the whole platform setup (CAE, eDMS and ERP) to ensure the identification of identical components in different systems.