You can set a Baseline for your Projects to quickly identify if your project is running on schedule or behind. The Baseline allows you to take a snapshot of the project plan dates at the current point in time. As your plan progresses and changes, you can then compare your actual progress against the Baseline you have set.

Setting the Baseline

The Baseline can be set from the Project, Phase or the Gantt tab. Select “Set Baseline” from the drop-down menu in the upper-right corner. 

 

Comparing the Baseline

There is a new button on the far right of the screen. If a Baseline has not been set, this button will be inactive. Once the Baseline is set, clicking this button will display the Baseline, and an extra row will become visible on the Gantt.

 

When you reschedule a Task in the Gantt view, the Baseline bar will now show as pink. You can hover each Baseline bar to see the details, including the Start and End dates, and by how many days a Task is delayed.
 

 

Resetting the Baseline

You can set a new Baseline at any time by selecting the same option under the drop-down menu. A new message will appear if a Baseline is already set, informing you that setting a new Baseline will replace the existing one. Once reset, the new Baseline will be updated to show the latest information. 

When to reset the Baseline 

The Baseline is typically set after a kickoff call, as you will have a better idea of what the Project will look like in terms of timelines. Setting the Baseline is akin to your agreement with the customer that this is the plan to work towards. After a few weeks into the Project, there may be various delays, which will mean the plan needs to be restructured. Once rebuilt, it makes sense to reset the Baseline to ensure the timeline to work towards is updated and everyone is aware of any previous delays.

 

Reporting on Baseline Variance

The Baseline Variance is the number of days between the Baseline and the current schedule, and is calculated in working days.

Baseline fields are available on the Project Task and Phase objects for reporting. Alternatively your admin can configure page layouts to show this additional information if you choose.

Project Task fields for reporting:

• Start Date (Baseline) - Start Date of the Task at the time the Baseline was set.
• End Date (Baseline) - End Date of the Task at the time the Baseline was set.
• Start Date Variance - Number of working days between the Start Date and Start Date (Baseline)
• End Date Variance - Number of working days between the End Date and End Date (Baseline). 

• Phase fields for reporting
  • Start Date (Baseline): Start Date of the Phase at the time the Baseline was set.
  • End Date (Baseline): End Date of the Phase at the time the Baseline was set.
  • Start Date Variance: Number of working days between the Phase Start Date and Start Date (Baseline)
  • End Date Variance: Number of working days between the Phase End Date and End Date (Baseline).