how to use Baseline

[MichaelD]

Hello Microsoft MVPs, I have a very short query and hope you can help me out. I just wanted to know how can we use Baseline in Microsoft Project? It will appreciated if someone explain it with an example. Thank you very much.

[T.J.]

Once you developed the phase of your schedule, just save the baseline. After this whenever you will update this schedule to reflect the changes, it will show you where you are now compared to where you said you should be. In simple words, it means you have to move tasks to when they actually started and finished.

[gtv630]

I am having problems showing my baseline vs the current project status. I have experimented with several things, but in general, I thought the procedure should be:

set up project tasks and associated durations and links
save a baseline
start updating tasks
view tracking gantt

At this point, should I not see both the current task bars (red or blue) as well as the original baseline in black? The chart rearranges itself to allow space for the baseline, but those spaces are empty. Can someone guide me as to where I am going wrong?

Also, in some cases, we actually beat the planned timing. What is the correct way to adjust the schedule to reflect this?

Any assistance would be appreciated,

Andrew

[Expertz]

Hi gtv630,

You can try to check that there's nothing preventing the task starting at 0800 on the first day. Maybe a predecessor doesn't finish until 0900, or perhaps your calendar is not set to begin at 0800 or Tool/Options/Calendar is not set to 0800. Try Tools/Options.../View tab and select a Duration format that has the time showing. Is it 0600? In your real project, I would be inclined to delete the task and re-enter it. If, as you have done, you change the working times in Tools/Options... this will not affect what has happened in the past, only for the future - so re-entering the task should do the trick.

[gtv630]

I think I have everything working now. Perhaps I was setting Baseline 1, instead of just setting the baseline. The software seems very particular as to what order you do things as well. Thanks.