In Oracle Primavera Cloud, baselines allow you to capture and save project data. A baseline is a saved copy of the project at a given point in time. Each baseline will capture all the project’s data – including dates, durations, units, and costs. OPC uses one project file throughout the entirety of the project management process. By saving baselines, you can save additional versions of the project at specific points in time. With baselines, you can compare updated project data with your original baseline data at any time. This is specifically useful when performing status updates or creating what-if scenarios. With a saved baseline, you can quickly compare your planned, or original dates, with your actual, or updated dates. This will show you how far ahead or behind your project is running. Additionally, baselines can be useful for data management. If you ever get audited, baselines provide a historical trail of project information that you can refer to at any time.

Baselines are not specific to Oracle Primavera Cloud – they exist in most scheduling programs. Both Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project allow you to save and work with baselines. However, OPC has added a lot of additional functionality to baselines, making them a more multi-faceted tool. In this article, we will go over how to create, manage, open, and compare baselines in Oracle Primavera Cloud. Baselines are available to OPC users assigned the Primavera Cloud Schedule license type.

Creating Baselines

Before creating a baseline, you will first want to open a project and access the Activities page. You can create a baseline at any time – but it’s recommended to create one after adding all planned data to the project. Additionally, it’s a good idea to create a baseline after each status update. To create a baseline, select the Actions dropdown menu and choose Add Baseline.

In the Add Baseline window, fill out the following fields:

Name 

This is a required field and can help you identify this baseline from others that you may create later on. For example, you might want to name your first baseline “Original Baseline Version 01”. This will differentiate it from status update baselines you may create later.

Source

Under Source, you can choose what version of the project to create the baseline from. Here, you can either choose Current Schedule or From History. Current Schedule will create a copy of the current project data to use as the baseline. From History, on the other hand, will allow you to choose any date since the project’s creation. If you choose From History, a new field for Baseline Date will appear in the window. Under Baseline Date, you can choose which date within the project’s history to copy for the baseline. For whatever date you choose, the baseline will be a copy of the project as it was on that specific date. This is a very powerful tool, allowing you to go back in time to create your baseline copies. If you ever forget to create a baseline before statusing the project, you can always retroactively create a baseline from the past.

Baseline Type 

Here, you can choose a type to best identify the baseline. There are four types to choose from – but for the first baseline, you’ll only have access to the Original type. Baseline Types relate to columns and bars that you can add to the Activities screen. For example, if you use the Original type, you’ll be able to view that baseline’s data in the Original Baseline columns.

​OPC features the following baseline types:

• Original: You’ll typically use this type for your first official baseline. This is the approved project plan, before any work has actually begun. When you create your first baseline, this will be the type by default. Only one baseline at a time can be set to Original.

   

• Current: This baseline type usually represents the most current status update baseline. Typically, you’ll use the Current baseline to compare your actual dates with your original planned dates. Only one baseline at a time can be set to Current.

   

• Supplementary: You can use this type for any other baseline that you may need to create. This type is often useful for testing out what-if situations or scenarios. Only one baseline at a time can be set to Supplementary.

   

• Unofficial Baseline: If you don’t choose a baseline type, you can create an unofficial baseline. Unofficial baselines do not have a type and do not relate to any baseline columns or bars. You can create an unlimited amount of unofficial baselines.

Category

Under Category, you can select any baseline category created at the workspace level. These are fields that your administrator can create to better organize baselines. For example, your administrator might choose to create Baseline Categories of Approved and Unapproved. You can use these categories to better organize your baselines based on their current approval status. This is an optional field that you can leave blank if you don’t have categories available.

Description

Here, you can add any additional data about the baseline. This is not a required field.

After adjusting these details, select Add to create the baseline.

You’ll receive a notification once the baseline has been created. You can now access your baseline using the Manage Baselines window or the Open dropdown.

Managing Baselines

With a baseline created, you can manage and adjust its details in the Manage Baselines window. To do this, select the Actions menu and press Manage Baselines. Here, you can adjust the Name, Description, and Type by double clicking in the associated field.

You can also delete baselines in this window by selecting the context gear and pressing Delete. However, there is no limit to the number of baselines you can create. You will never have to delete baselines in order to create new ones.

Opening Baselines

One of the biggest draws to OPC from former P6 users is the additional baseline capabilities. In Primavera P6, you could not open baselines. Instead, you would simply display baseline data using columns in the table and bars in the Gantt Chart. In Oracle Primavera Cloud, on the other hand, you can open baselines as if they were another project. You can even adjust baseline data after creation if needed.

To open a baseline in Oracle Primavera Cloud, navigate to the Activities screen. Using the Open dropdown menu, you will have access to all created baselines and scenarios. Select a baseline from the list to open it.

With the baseline open, a banner will appear above the page to inform you that a baseline is open. The screen will now display baseline data within both the activity table and Gantt chart. If you make any adjustments to the project with the baseline open, these changes will only save to the baseline copy. These changes will not affect the current schedule. However, it’s generally a best practice to not adjust baseline data. We generally want our baselines to act as a static copy to assist in schedule comparisons. If you do want to make adjustments to a version of the project, it’s recommended to use scenarios instead.

Setting the Baseline as the Current Schedule 

At any time, you can replace the current schedule in Oracle Primavera Cloud with a baseline version. This will overwrite the current project data and replace it with the baseline data. If you made a mistake in the project, or circumstances change, you can use this tool to get back to a prior schedule version.

Before performing this action in OPC, it’s important to note that this can not be undone. Once you replace the current schedule with a baseline version, you can not revert back to the previous schedule version. However, because you can always create baselines from the past, this won’t be an issue. If you don’t like the change you’ve made, you can always create a baseline from a time before that change occured. Then, as we’ll see in a moment, you can replace the current schedule with that baseline. Because of this capability, it’s almost impossible to make any permanent mistakes in Oracle Primavera Cloud.

To replace the current schedule with a baseline, first open the baseline. Then, select Actions > Set as Current Schedule

A warning will appear, informing you that you can not undo this process. Select Set to continue. Once set, the current project will open, and it will now take on the settings of the selected baseline. You will no longer see the baseline in the baseline list, as it is now the current schedule.

Comparing Baselines with Other Schedule Versions 

With a baseline created, you can compare it with the current schedule, a baseline, or a scenario. Schedule comparisons allow you to compare activity data between two schedule versions. It’s often useful to compare the original baseline with the current schedule once updated. This can quickly show you how far ahead or behind you are from your original project plan.

To perform a schedule comparison, select the Main Menu > Schedule > Schedule Comparison.

On the Schedule Comparison page, you can choose two schedule versions to compare. Using the Original and Revised dropdown fields, select a schedule version for each. It’s often useful to choose the original baseline for the Original field, and the current schedule for the Revised field.

Then, press Compare.

Using the table, Gantt chart, and Details section, you can compare data between the two schedule versions. Through comparing these dates and durations, we can quickly see how far ahead or behind our current schedule is running. If we find that the current schedule is falling behind the baseline schedule, we can make adjustments within the project to get back on track.

It’s useful to run a schedule comparison after every status update. If your contract requires a schedule narrative, this page will help you identify all changes that have occurred since the last update.

Summary

In Oracle Primavera Cloud, you can create baselines to capture and save project data at a certain point in time. Creating a baseline is similar to pressing Save As – it will save a copy of the current project plan. Baselines are an integral part of the project management life cycle, as they let you save all of your original planned data. Once the project begins, you can use baselines to compare your original planned data with your actual data. Creating baselines is often a contractual requirement. However, even if it isn’t a requirement, it’s recommended to regularly create baselines in OPC. With baselines, you’ll have a clear historical trail of all project data, from start to finish.

Have you acquired an Oracle Primavera Cloud license and are not sure what to do next? Taradigm offers OPC implementation services! Contact us today for more information.

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Lauren Hecker is an Oracle Primavera Cloud, Primavera P6, and Microsoft Project instructor who teaches onsite and virtual scheduling courses. To see her next open enrollment course, please visit our calendar. To schedule an onsite or custom course, please contact us!