Starting baseline tracking a little late...

[Bobg]

Hello,

I am new to using baselines, but would like to begin using them. I have a
saved copy of my project plan from about a month ago that I would like to use
as my baseline dates. Since then there have been several changes made to the
plan (some tasks added, etc.). What is the easiest way for me to get the
information from the month old plan to be my baseline in the current version?
Should I just save a baseline in the current version and go through task by
task adjusting the baseline dates to match what they were in the older
version? What information, other than the dates, would I need to enter?

Thanks!

 

[Jim Aksel]

Baseline involves many fields: Costs, Durations, Start, Finish. You can get
a list of them by inserting a column -- you will see the group of tasks that
starts with the word "Baseline". Keep in mind there are 11 baselines
available, you only need to concern yourself with one.

To be most accurate, assign costed resources to the detail tasks.

Probably the best way to do this is to go back to your original plan (God
bless you for saving one). Set a baseline from the tools menu, then save
your file again. Now, from a copy, you can manually progress your schedule
up to the state it is in now by adding tasks, etc. These new tasks will have
no baseline, you will not earn value against them (if that matters to you).

Make sure to set a status date (Project/Project Information), and then take
your %Complete. To be most accurate, you need to be changing the remaining
work and remaining duration fields and let %Complete fall where ever it
lands. The reason why is Project computes %Complete based on the duration of
the tasks... a 10 day task is 30% complete at the end of day 3... the amount
of work performed is irrelevant.

Yes, you can save a baseline to your existing file, but that will forgive
all variances up to that point. All that would have to be manually adjusted.
For example if the task originally took 10 days and cost $8000, and you
changed it to 15 days, Project will give you baseline data associated with
the 15 days (and its associated costs). It will show no variance, but you
were over by 50%.

I have some thoughts on this on my blog if you care to go poke around under
MS Project tips on the left side.
--
If this post was helpful, please consider rating it.

Jim Aksel, MVP

Check out my blog for more information:
http://www.msprojectblog.com

 

[Mike Glen MVP]

Hi Bobg,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

I suggest you short cut by using Copy/Paste:

1. Save copies of both files - just in case.

2. Baseline your old version. Then view the Baseline table, to which you
insert the other essential baseline columns.

3. In your latest version, I would use a Flag field to identify which are
the new or changed tasks and then filter them out. That should leave a list
of tasks identical to the previous version. Check both versions to ensure
they are the same.

4. View the same Baseline view as in the previous version. Then Copy from
the previous to the latest.

5. Then show all the tasks in the latest amended version and select Flagged
task for baselining only those selected tasks.

You may have to adjust accordingly.

Make a note to baseline your project as the last thing you do before
starting the project!

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials