diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
index e63797c76..21f5e3f2a 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 
 package org.navalplanner.business.workingday;
 
+import java.util.EnumMap;
+
 import org.apache.commons.lang.Validate;
 
 public class EffortDuration {
@@ -28,6 +30,10 @@ public class EffortDuration {
     public enum Granularity {
         HOURS(3600), MINUTES(60), SECONDS(1);
 
+        static Granularity[] fromMoreCoarseToLessCoarse() {
+            return Granularity.values();
+        }
+
         private final int secondsPerUnit;
 
         private Granularity(int secondsPerUnit) {
@@ -104,4 +110,17 @@ public class EffortDuration {
         return getSeconds();
     }
 
+    public EnumMap<Granularity, Integer> decompose() {
+        EnumMap<Granularity, Integer> result = new EnumMap<EffortDuration.Granularity, Integer>(
+                Granularity.class);
+        int remainder = seconds;
+        for (Granularity each : Granularity.fromMoreCoarseToLessCoarse()) {
+            int value = each.convertFromSeconds(remainder);
+            remainder -= value * each.toSeconds(1);
+            result.put(each, value);
+        }
+        assert remainder == 0;
+        return result;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
index fd0f37d02..8be1fc636 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.hours;
 import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.minutes;
 
+import java.util.EnumMap;
+
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration;
 import org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.Granularity;
@@ -93,4 +95,22 @@ public class EffortDurationTest {
                 equalTo(ninetyMinutes.hashCode()));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void anEffortDurationCanBeDecomposedIntoElements() {
+        EffortDuration duration = hours(1).and(90, Granularity.MINUTES);
+        EnumMap<Granularity, Integer> values = duration.decompose();
+        assertThat(values.get(Granularity.HOURS), equalTo(2));
+        assertThat(values.get(Granularity.MINUTES), equalTo(30));
+        assertThat(values.get(Granularity.SECONDS), equalTo(0));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void anEmptyDurationHasZeroElements(){
+        EffortDuration duration = EffortDuration.zero();
+        EnumMap<Granularity, Integer> values = duration.decompose();
+        assertThat(values.get(Granularity.HOURS), equalTo(0));
+        assertThat(values.get(Granularity.MINUTES), equalTo(0));
+        assertThat(values.get(Granularity.SECONDS), equalTo(0));
+    }
+
 }