How & Why to set Multiple Baselines & Baseline your changes so you can actually track changes

In this video tutorial #14, I discuss how and why to create multiple baselines and importantly how to baseline changes so they can be tracked. This video is based on questions from my subscribers regarding being able to track changes. If you don't understand baselines I recommend that you review Tutorial #13 which introduces the concept more thoroughly: • How to set a BASELINE ...
If you enjoyed this video please click like and select the subscriptions and notifications icons. You can find many MS Project videos on my MS Project Playlists. Feel free to comment and ask questions.
Below is a sampling of videos to review on MS Project:
MS Project Made Easy
Tutorial 1 Introduction • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 2 Calendars • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 3 5 things to improve • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 4 Resources • 8 Things & More on How...
Tutorial 5 Filter • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 6 Updating • MS Project Made Easy T...
Tutorial 7 Revisions • How to Update & Revise...
Tutorial 8 Change Orders • Update and Insert Chan...
Tutorial 9 Timeline scale • Make professional pres...
Tutorial 10 Work, Duration, Units, Effort • Learn Work, Units, Dur...
Tutorial 11 Resource Leveling • Learn the Basics How T...
MS Project Tutorials
• Tutorial 1 Introduction: • MS Project Tutorial 1 ...
• Tutorial 2 Calendars & Columns • MS Project Tutorial 2 ...
• Tutorial 3 How to Maneuver • MS Project Tutorial 3 ...
• Tutorial 4 Resources and Costs • MS Project Tutorial 4 ...
• Tutorial 5 Updating Schedule • MS Project Tutorial 5 ...
• Tutorial 6 Recovering Schedule • MS Project Tutorial 6 ...
• Tutorial 7 Adding a Change • MS Project Tutorial 7 ...
• Tutorial 8 File Saving Protocol • MS Project Tutorial 8 ...
• Tutorial 9 No Open Ends • Three ways to avoid op...

[@PeenakChatterjee]

Dear sir, you are a great teacher, I am a construction professional learning MS Project to manage my site. In future, I hope to teach young students. Will meet you someday for sure.

[@paulaparo1583]

Very helpful. Thank you. Even though I had previously subscribed, I didn't fully appreciate this Microsoft Project tutorial series until now. A need to solidify my understanding of baselines (in particular) led me to this video and its predecessor. I suppose it took that learning use-case for me to optimally engage your cogent series of brief and highly effective tutorials. I look forward to watching the others.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Paul, happy to help!

[@IsraelNevo]

Thanks. I did just that. Thanks

[@pedrothesunowner7604]

Thanks Tom!

[@TomStephensontraining]

You’re welcome Pedro

[@planningcorp]

i hope they get new version where we can compare the multiple baselines vs multiple variances, it would be a lot easier to access the project with different aspects.

[@TomStephensontraining]

Yes for sure, more like primavera. There are a lot of changes coming with AI integration. We will see.

[@Fahad-471]

Great Explanation

[@TomStephensontraining]

Thanks Fahad

[@user-nu1ly5ph4f]

Hi Tom, Thank for the wonderful video and superb explanation. It Would you be helpful if you explain how to do the What if analysis in MS Project for looking multiple options and selecting the feasible option. Thanks

[@TomStephensontraining]

Great idea will do

[@charithf483]

love a good bassline

[@TomStephensontraining]

Yes for sure, really helps to measure progress and provide feedback on how to improve.

[@Annie-ph2rl]

Hi Tom, before I knew the ‘start/finish variance’ only compared the ‘Baseline’, I was trying to troubleshoot how to get this to compare to say ‘Baseline 3’ instead. I went to File > Options > Advanced > Baseline for Earned Value Calculation and selected Baseline 3. It did change the start/finish variance numbers but against Baseline 3. Would you suggest I create custom columns to compare different baselines?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Annie You can save baseline 3 back to baseline to see variances but unfortunately there are no numbered variances. There is something else ill try to check out. If it pans out ill demo it in another video.

[@Annie-ph2rl]

@@TomStephensontraining hi Tom, what are the impacts of manually changing the baseline date in the ‘Entry’ view (instead of ‘setting baseline’)? I did this because I had accidentally saved an incorrect task into the default Baseline. Thank you

[@janedias8106]

@@TomStephensontraining i WILL CHECK THAT AND ALSO, i WILL CHECK HOW TO CUSTOM FIELD-TAKS- AND FORMULA. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT BUT I WILL TRY. THANK YOU

[@funfunny9319]

Thanks Tom for sharing this, can you please advise which of your lessons is the best to watch for integration of delays caused by an external cause such as delay in procurment of free-issued materials or inclement weather or delays in reposnes to TQs?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Sure check my playlists, i have on called ms project the course and i would checkcaround video 5 through 10 earlier ones are on updates and 8 to 10 is recoveries and changes.

[@funfunny9319]

@@TomStephensontraining Much appreicated, 😃

[@IsraelNevo]

Hi Tom ' first i want to tell you that ive seen most of your tuturials on MS PROJECT and found it very useful and although i use MS for years - i didn't know how much i don't know. I wanted to ask - I was asked to prepare a schedule for detailed design with 8 different options . Is it possible to show it all options on one project schedule - like using baselines or so?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Israel, thanks for watching. No I would do eight different options in 8 different files. Baslining is more for updating and retaining information at points in time. Even then I usually prefer the file naming protocols method.

[@denanasrollahi2264]

Hi Tom, do I need to make a new baseline every time I know the start and finish of someof my tasks will change?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi Dena, no you don’t take a look at my playlists and check videos 5-7

[@teshomeethiopia2024]

Hi Tom, I have a project that is 26 years old, completed but not CLOSED! Can I reconstruct the project using a few inputs? Simply, can one use MS Project accurately for projects that are completed but not closed properly! Thanks!

[@TomStephensontraining]

If I understand you correctly, yes basically anything that you can list and sequence rasks for you can make work as a project. The secret is understanding that things don’t go as planned but you thought out a plan and built contingencies and are updating and reconfiguring the plan.

[@shyamu4vlb]

Hi Tom, is it possible to create a new baseline for an earlier date?

[@TomStephensontraining]

Where you can do that is if you have files saved from a previous date. Check my playlists and I think video 5 or 6 discuss file naming protocols which give you a lot of options. Thanks for watching

[@udaychhabra8895]

Sir please make video on Earned Value Analysis

[@TomStephensontraining]

Will do

[@mespecialforu]

Hi Tom, How to give the weightage to each activity? total to become 100%

[@TomStephensontraining]

If you mean to mark complete or as a percentage try the tracking screen percent complete.

[@raghvendraniranjan7306]

Sir, can we have a Baseline tutorial while we are in middle of project and new activity is being added

[@TomStephensontraining]

Hi, Thanks for watching if you check my playlists you should see a number of videos on add changes and updates. Videos 5,6,7 come to mind. I hope that helps. I will also have some new ones coming in the next month