What is a PRINCE2 product breakdown structure?

In PRINCE2 a product breakdown structure is a heirachical breakdown of the products required within the scope of a plan. It is usually depicted in a diagram with rectangles showing each product, and lines showing their decomposition into smaller products shown by other rectangles.

A product breakdown structure can be represented in other ways too, for example as a mind map, or as a bullet point list. A product breakdown structure is an important artefact in PRINCE2 and is often included in plans and forms one of the outputs of the PRINCE2 product-based planning technique.

Last edited on: 30 Jun 2026

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