Guild of Project Controls: Compendium | Roles | Assessment | Certifications | Membership

Tips on using this forum..

(1) Explain your problem, don't simply post "This isn't working". What were you doing when you faced the problem? What have you tried to resolve - did you look for a solution using "Search" ? Has it happened just once or several times?

(2) It's also good to get feedback when a solution is found, return to the original post to explain how it was resolved so that more people can also use the results.

Baseline Dates vs. "Initial" Start & Finish Dates

5 replies [Last post]
Sun, 2008-11-02 18:50
Ross Yu
User offline. Last seen 15 years 3 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 4 Jun 2008
Posts: 10
Groups: None
Hello all,

I have a project schedule (in P6) which already has weeks of progress % on some activities. I need to make a baseline schedule based on my "Current" schedule.

I made a copy of the schedule and link it to my current schedule following the "Maintain" and "Assign" baselines steps.

After the process, I expect the "BL Project Start" & "BL Project Finish" should equal to all the "Start" and "Finish" dates from the current porject, which turns out to be not the case.

All the 0% progress items dates are alright, but activities with % progress have different dates than the "Start" & "Finish" dates.

Can any one help to explain why Primavera does it this way and if it is correct to "Not" set the baseline dates to the current schedule "Start" and "Finish" dates.

Or give me some insight what Primavera is doing ?

Also, is there a solution ? (I am currently using user define dates to store the dates inorder to print the bars and list the "base dates")

I understarnd why the BL Early & Late Start & Finish dates would be different than the Current Schedule "Start" and "Finish" dates, but not why the "BL Project Start" & "BL Project Finish" should (not be the same).


Please comment. Thx

Ross

Top

Replies

Sun, 2008-11-09 23:47
#1
A D
User offline. Last seen 3 years 23 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 1027
Groups: Accreditation Editors
Thanks Dear

:-)
Top
Sun, 2008-11-09 15:13
#2
Iftikhar Awan P.Eng.
User offline. Last seen 5 years 51 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 40
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Hi Raviraj,

I tried your good solution and would like to propose the following modification in the global filter:

IF: AS is not equal to ""
THEN: Planned Start = Start, AND
Planned Finish = Finish

This will take care of in progress activities as well.
Top
Sat, 2008-11-08 07:31
#3
Maghsoud Joudi
User offline. Last seen 13 years 8 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 15 Nov 2004
Posts: 9
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
Hi,
hope to help you.
01- Make an export file from the file which has Actual data to XER Format.

02- Go to Methodology Manager and import the XER file. While you are importing the XER file to methodology Manager, you will be directed to a windows which has two options (Use Actual and Use Planned Value). Please see the attached file. You need to select ( Use Actual).

03- After Importing the project to methodology, you can create a project in Project Manager Module by using Project Architect. At this stage, you have a project with actual data, the only thing which you need to do is converting the same to baseline or target project.

cheers,
Maghsoud
Top
Mon, 2008-11-03 02:34
#4
A D
User offline. Last seen 3 years 23 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 May 2007
Posts: 1027
Groups: Accreditation Editors
Hi Ross,

When P6 will calculate from a baseline, it will use planned dates and not early dates. In ur case, early dates and planned dates might be same, as u may not have specifically entered planned dates. And so, in BL column u may find ES/EF dates rather than AS & AF dates.

To resolve ur issue, Go to Admin --> Admin Preferences and then click on earned value Tab. At the bottom, u will find Earned Value Calculation from a baseline:

There are three options:
- Planned Dates
- Current Dates
- .............

Choose second option to use current dates to display actual date, but then u need to check its implications on other values. I hav told my admin guys to change it, but they are dumb and deef to make any changes in teh settings.

So, the turnaround is to have global change.

If AS NE " ", then PS = AS
& AS NE " ", then PF = AF

This shud solve ur problem,

Cheers,

Rav
Top
Sun, 2008-11-02 21:12
#5
Iftikhar Awan P.Eng.
User offline. Last seen 5 years 51 weeks ago. Offline
Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 40
Groups: Petro-Chem / Oil & Gas
For activities that are either complete or in progress, the start and finish columns reflect actual and forecast dates. Is there any specific reason that you want to use the actual start and finish dates as the baseline start and finish dates?

From project control point of view, its history and there is no need to baseline history. This should have been done before updating the project.

There are ways however to do it.
Top