Numbering work breakdown structures in MindManager

Nick Duffill is a mind mapping problem solver. When he encounters a limitation of the MindManager mind mapping tool, he sometimes builds an add-in to solve it.

That was the case when he noticed that MindManager re-numbers topics each time you add a new one. While this works well for most applications, it's a non-starter for work breakdown structures (WBS), which are used in project planning. Ideally, topics must maintain their numbers, once assigned.

Nick recently explained the thinking behind his new MindManager WBS Codes App add-in on LinkedIn. This new tool adds persistent reference numbers to WBS trees using a hierarchical numbering scheme. These numbers become part of the topic text and do not change when topics are inserted, deleted, or re-ordered, or even if you filter the map.

These reference numbers are also included in exports and other views such as the Gantt chart, giving you a consistent way to reference an item, even if the topic text is updated during the project.