Baseline Duration Field Not Auto-Calculating

[Londa Sue]

I've begun a schedule by inserting baseline duration, start, and finish
columns, as I've done before. The problem is that the baseline duration
field is not auto-calculating as it normally does. Enter start and finish
dates out comes an estimated duration. For some reason, this isn't happening.

I don't want to have to manually enter each duration. What am I missing?

Your help is appreciated.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Londa Sue,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

Baseline data is created by Project via Tools/Tracking/Set Baseline. The
baseline is a snapshot of what the original plan was, so that you can
compare actual data with the plan. Although you can manually change the
data, Project will not update any of the data.

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 Project Tutorials

 

[Londa Sue]

Mike,

Hi. Thanks for the reply. I understand the baseline concept.
I have six fields: Baseline Duration, Baseline Start, Baseline Finish,
Actual Duration, Actual Start, and Actual Finish. In planning the tasks, I
have entered Baseline Finish and Baseline Start dates looking for the tool to
calculate the Baseline Duration, so that I can save the baseline. (I don't
want to save a baseline that doesn't meet my needs.) Typically. the baseline
duration is auto-calculated based on the entered start and finish dates. It
comes up with " 2 days?", for example. I'm not getting the "2 days?"
calculation in the field so that I can accept the estimate.

 

[Londa Sue]

I think I saw what I did. Not sure. But, I have what I want.

I inserted the baseline fields too early.

 

[B Sai Prasad [PMP]]

Dear Microsoft Office Project user,

My suggestion regarding is to follow the below approach for planning,
execution and controlling phase of your project.
1. During planning - Use the Entry table of Gantt Chart view
2. View Baseline - Set the baseline, view the baseline data using Baseline
table of Gantt Chart view
3. Capturing Actuals - Use the Tracking table of Tracking Gantt view
4. View current Schedule - Use the Entry table of Tracking Gantt view

Please let us know if this helps.

Regards
Sai [PMP]

 

[Steve House]

One thought. You said you don't want to enter the durations of your tasks
manually but you ARE entering the dates manually and want Project to
calculate durations from them. That's backwards of the way Project works,
I'm afraid, and seems to me to require even more data entry than doing it
the right way from the start. The better way is to enter the project start,
task links and task durations and have Project calculate the dates the tasks
will be able to begin and finish from the data. You don't tell it the
schedule, it tells you. Once you have the schedule with resources
assigned,etc, and the calculated schedule meets your business needs, you
save the baseline so you have a static copy for future tracking and
reference as posted actual work causes the projected schedule to change
dynamically.

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

You should be entering Start and Finish (not actual start and actual finish)
and then saving a baseline.
Baseline is a snapshot of current dates (which are based on Start and Finish
and Duration). You need to enter those first. To set baselines go to the
tools menu, tracking submenu and select save baseline. Manually entering a
baseline is not a good way to do things.

-Jack

 

[Londa Sue]

Actually, in this case, I have extremely hard appraisal dates by which these
tasks need to be completed. Consequently, I must schedule hard dates for
task completion taking into account a number of other factors.

I have what I need. I was a bit ahead of myself.

Thanks for all the help,

One thought. You said you don't want to enter the durations of your tasks
manually but you ARE entering the dates manually and want Project to
calculate durations from them. That's backwards of the way Project works,
I'm afraid, and seems to me to require even more data entry than doing it
the right way from the start. The better way is to enter the project start,
task links and task durations and have Project calculate the dates the tasks
will be able to begin and finish from the data. You don't tell it the
schedule, it tells you. Once you have the schedule with resources
assigned,etc, and the calculated schedule meets your business needs, you
save the baseline so you have a static copy for future tracking and
reference as posted actual work causes the projected schedule to change
dynamically.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I've begun a schedule by inserting baseline duration, start, and finish
columns, as I've done before. The problem is that the baseline duration
field is not auto-calculating as it normally does. Enter start and finish
dates out comes an estimated duration. For some reason, this isn't
happening.

I don't want to have to manually enter each duration. What am I missing?

Your help is appreciated.

 

[Steve House]

I understand that - however, if I could suggest, Project best comes into its
own when it is used to figure out exactly what workflow and resource
assignments will result in a schedule that meets your hard date
requirements. By hard coding dates, you are merely using it to document
those requirements and there's nothing in the schedule drivers that will
actually force it to happen the way you need it to. The date on which a
task can take place or a deliverable completed is driven by the workflow
that leads up to it, having the right resources in the right place at the
right time with all the preparatory work completed, and not by the simple
declaration that "X happens here." If you try it my suggested way and find
the calculated dates don't match up to the required dates, you'll probably
find the real world is equally uncooperative and when you try to work the
schedule as you declared it to be, you'll discover you aren't able to
actually meet the dates you've declared where things are required to happen.
Those dates will come and the tasks won't be able to start as they're
supposed to because the prep work isn't finished yet or some such occurance.
You can't just say something happens on such and such a date - you have to
arrange its predecessors so the workflow MAKES it happen there. And Project
is there for you to do a "what-if" to see what the various management
decisions you can make will do to the dates where your important milestones
will take place, to help you figure out just how you have to organize it so
it does meet your business needs.

Just sharing some thoughts. Best of luck


--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Actually, in this case, I have extremely hard appraisal dates by which
these
tasks need to be completed. Consequently, I must schedule hard dates for
task completion taking into account a number of other factors.

I have what I need. I was a bit ahead of myself.

Thanks for all the help,

One thought. You said you don't want to enter the durations of your
tasks
manually but you ARE entering the dates manually and want Project to
calculate durations from them. That's backwards of the way Project
works,
I'm afraid, and seems to me to require even more data entry than doing it
the right way from the start. The better way is to enter the project
start,
task links and task durations and have Project calculate the dates the
tasks
will be able to begin and finish from the data. You don't tell it the
schedule, it tells you. Once you have the schedule with resources
assigned,etc, and the calculated schedule meets your business needs, you
save the baseline so you have a static copy for future tracking and
reference as posted actual work causes the projected schedule to change
dynamically.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I've begun a schedule by inserting baseline duration, start, and finish
columns, as I've done before. The problem is that the baseline
duration
field is not auto-calculating as it normally does. Enter start and
finish
dates out comes an estimated duration. For some reason, this isn't
happening.

I don't want to have to manually enter each duration. What am I
missing?

Your help is appreciated.

 

[Londa Sue]

I agree with you. FYI, I did learn something from you (reinforced some
things) to help me help the projects I help ;-> Thanks a lot.

Best wishes to you, too

Londa Sue

I understand that - however, if I could suggest, Project best comes into its
own when it is used to figure out exactly what workflow and resource
assignments will result in a schedule that meets your hard date
requirements. By hard coding dates, you are merely using it to document
those requirements and there's nothing in the schedule drivers that will
actually force it to happen the way you need it to. The date on which a
task can take place or a deliverable completed is driven by the workflow
that leads up to it, having the right resources in the right place at the
right time with all the preparatory work completed, and not by the simple
declaration that "X happens here." If you try it my suggested way and find
the calculated dates don't match up to the required dates, you'll probably
find the real world is equally uncooperative and when you try to work the
schedule as you declared it to be, you'll discover you aren't able to
actually meet the dates you've declared where things are required to happen.
Those dates will come and the tasks won't be able to start as they're
supposed to because the prep work isn't finished yet or some such occurance.
You can't just say something happens on such and such a date - you have to
arrange its predecessors so the workflow MAKES it happen there. And Project
is there for you to do a "what-if" to see what the various management
decisions you can make will do to the dates where your important milestones
will take place, to help you figure out just how you have to organize it so
it does meet your business needs.

Just sharing some thoughts. Best of luck


--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Actually, in this case, I have extremely hard appraisal dates by which
these
tasks need to be completed. Consequently, I must schedule hard dates for
task completion taking into account a number of other factors.

I have what I need. I was a bit ahead of myself.

Thanks for all the help,

One thought. You said you don't want to enter the durations of your
tasks
manually but you ARE entering the dates manually and want Project to
calculate durations from them. That's backwards of the way Project
works,
I'm afraid, and seems to me to require even more data entry than doing it
the right way from the start. The better way is to enter the project
start,
task links and task durations and have Project calculate the dates the
tasks
will be able to begin and finish from the data. You don't tell it the
schedule, it tells you. Once you have the schedule with resources
assigned,etc, and the calculated schedule meets your business needs, you
save the baseline so you have a static copy for future tracking and
reference as posted actual work causes the projected schedule to change
dynamically.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs



I've begun a schedule by inserting baseline duration, start, and finish
columns, as I've done before. The problem is that the baseline
duration
field is not auto-calculating as it normally does. Enter start and
finish
dates out comes an estimated duration. For some reason, this isn't
happening.

I don't want to have to manually enter each duration. What am I
missing?

Your help is appreciated.

 

[Londa Sue]

So, of course, I started over. Thank you. Guess that's why you're the MVP ;->

I've a couple of issues, but I think I can handle those by modifying the
type of finish-start task it is.

Londa Sue

I understand that - however, if I could suggest, Project best comes into its
own when it is used to figure out exactly what workflow and resource
assignments will result in a schedule that meets your hard date
requirements. By hard coding dates, you are merely using it to document
those requirements and there's nothing in the schedule drivers that will
actually force it to happen the way you need it to. The date on which a
task can take place or a deliverable completed is driven by the workflow
that leads up to it, having the right resources in the right place at the
right time with all the preparatory work completed, and not by the simple
declaration that "X happens here." If you try it my suggested way and find
the calculated dates don't match up to the required dates, you'll probably
find the real world is equally uncooperative and when you try to work the
schedule as you declared it to be, you'll discover you aren't able to
actually meet the dates you've declared where things are required to happen.
Those dates will come and the tasks won't be able to start as they're
supposed to because the prep work isn't finished yet or some such occurance.
You can't just say something happens on such and such a date - you have to
arrange its predecessors so the workflow MAKES it happen there. And Project
is there for you to do a "what-if" to see what the various management
decisions you can make will do to the dates where your important milestones
will take place, to help you figure out just how you have to organize it so
it does meet your business needs.

Just sharing some thoughts. Best of luck


--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs

Actually, in this case, I have extremely hard appraisal dates by which
these
tasks need to be completed. Consequently, I must schedule hard dates for
task completion taking into account a number of other factors.

I have what I need. I was a bit ahead of myself.

Thanks for all the help,

One thought. You said you don't want to enter the durations of your
tasks
manually but you ARE entering the dates manually and want Project to
calculate durations from them. That's backwards of the way Project
works,
I'm afraid, and seems to me to require even more data entry than doing it
the right way from the start. The better way is to enter the project
start,
task links and task durations and have Project calculate the dates the
tasks
will be able to begin and finish from the data. You don't tell it the
schedule, it tells you. Once you have the schedule with resources
assigned,etc, and the calculated schedule meets your business needs, you
save the baseline so you have a static copy for future tracking and
reference as posted actual work causes the projected schedule to change
dynamically.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm for the FAQs



I've begun a schedule by inserting baseline duration, start, and finish
columns, as I've done before. The problem is that the baseline
duration
field is not auto-calculating as it normally does. Enter start and
finish
dates out comes an estimated duration. For some reason, this isn't
happening.

I don't want to have to manually enter each duration. What am I
missing?

Your help is appreciated.