Baseline & Leveling

[mic994]

I am running into a problem when trying to save a baseline. Could someone
please explain the best practices for saving a baseline/creating a project
plan. Here are the steps I have done:
1) Created project plan, added tasks, set durations, added dependancies,
assigned resources (all tasks are effort driven and fixed units)
2) Leveled the project - Leveling Order set to standard - none of the
checkboxes selected
3) I then save the baseline

At this point, my start date and finish dates change. My start and finish
dates shouldn't change when I save a baseline. Any idea why the start and
finish dates changing when saving a baseline?
Thanks

 

[mic994]

An observation: Only the tasks that have incorporated a leveling delay
(eday) does the start date change when the baseline is saved.

 

[Steve House [MVP]]

Are you sure that it is the [Start] and [Finish] fields that are changing
??? Are they changing after leveling or after saving the baseline?
Leveling can change them - changing them to resolve resource overallocations
is the whole reason for you to level - but saving a baseline should'nt do
it. Saving a baseline copies the current plan data into the baseline
fields, either populating empty fields for the first time or over-writing
data previously saved to that baseline, but it's a one-way street. I've
never seen it trigger a change in the scheduled start and end dates in the
basic Gantt chart entry tables at all.

 

[JulieD]

Hi

which version are you using?
when you say the start & finish dates change - are these the start & finish
dates shown in the standard entry table of the gantt chart?
when you level - do you leave levelling set to manual and use the LEVEL NOW
button or do you set it to automatic?

Cheers
JulieD

 

[mic994]

It is definitely changing the start and finish dates in the standard gantt
chart when I save the baseline. That is my understanding as well. It should
not change these dates when saving a baseline. I have noticed that the
start/finish dates only change for tasks that have some elapsed allocated to
them

Are you sure that it is the [Start] and [Finish] fields that are changing
??? Are they changing after leveling or after saving the baseline?
Leveling can change them - changing them to resolve resource overallocations
is the whole reason for you to level - but saving a baseline should'nt do
it. Saving a baseline copies the current plan data into the baseline
fields, either populating empty fields for the first time or over-writing
data previously saved to that baseline, but it's a one-way street. I've
never seen it trigger a change in the scheduled start and end dates in the
basic Gantt chart entry tables at all.
--
Steve House [MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visit http://www.mvps.org/project/faqs.htm for the FAQs

I am running into a problem when trying to save a baseline. Could someone
please explain the best practices for saving a baseline/creating a project
plan. Here are the steps I have done:
1) Created project plan, added tasks, set durations, added dependancies,
assigned resources (all tasks are effort driven and fixed units)
2) Leveled the project - Leveling Order set to standard - none of the
checkboxes selected
3) I then save the baseline

At this point, my start date and finish dates change. My start and finish
dates shouldn't change when I save a baseline. Any idea why the start and
finish dates changing when saving a baseline?
Thanks

 

[mic994]

I am using MS Project 2003 (11.0.2003.0816.15). The start & finish dates in
the standard entry table of the gantt chart are changing when the baseline is
saved. Leveling is set to manual. I level the project plan then I save the
baseline. I have noticed that only the tasks that have elapsed days
associated with them (after leveling) does the start/finish dates change.
Duration does not change.

Thanks for your quick reply. I would love to get this project plan set up
properly so I can use tracking.

 

[mic994]

The problem is fixed when I applied Project 2003 service pack 1!!!!

 

[JulieD]

glad its solved and thanks for letting us know!

The problem is fixed when I applied Project 2003 service pack 1!!!!