what is the general guideline for project schedule re-plan

[JustMe]

After I created baseline for the project schedule, there are lots of
movement of the task sequence or effort adjustment. The work and
duration delta can be shown, but it becomes irrelevant when too many
movement in the plan.

Is there any guidance on when to re-baseline, and yet be able to refer
back to the original plan if needed?

Thanks.
Frank

 

[Jim Aksel]

This is up to management discretion and customer concurrence in most
instances. In effect, when you rebaseline, you are saying "I made a mistake,
the better answer is this..."

Rebaseline may be allowed when there is a change in scope or requirements.
Additionally, if there is a customer directed reduction in cost or change in
schedule.

The key is not to baseline a task too early. In my world, I have to keep a
baseline 90 days out. After that I have planning packages which contain only
a bucket of money and a timeframe to spend it. Gerenerally they are set to a
higher level WBS like tier 2 or 3.

Changing a task constraint is not reason to re-baseline unless you are
authorized to add a new task. For example, if you schedule "Paint All
Widgets" with a predessor "Last Widget Delievered to paint shop" then you get
to rebaseline manufacture widget and paint widget if your customer buys
another widget. Again, here there was a change in scope.

Adding additional layers of detail is not a rebaseline
Adding scope that you forgot to bid is not a rebaseline, although management
could authorize funds from Management Reserve in which case you could
establish some new tasks and baseline those. To the extent the new tasks
impact the existing ones, they could be rebased again as well.

Hope that helps ...

 

[Jim Aksel]

Another thing came to mind: If your approach to solve the problem radically
changes from your baseline, you may be authorized a baseline change. For
example, you initially thought you would create a stand alone desktop
application to solve a problem and then you decide the better approach woul d
be to create a website and host it on a server. Or, you decide to build the
building from steel and glass rather than wood and stucco.

A technology change may allow a baseline change. On client of mine had a
paper purchasing system and then went to an online MRP system. Manufacturing
reduced their hours becuase the technology shift allowed them to spend less
time in the planning/purchasing area.

It comes down to whatever you can sell your management, and some of us get
pretty cynical about changes since we feel it is only to cover poor
performance.