In project management, baselines can be created to capture and save project data. A baseline is essentially a saved copy of the project at a given point in time. Each baseline will capture all of the project’s data – including dates, durations, units, and costs. During project development, it’s important to create an original baseline that can be compared against as the schedule changes over time. Additionally, it’s a good idea to create a new baseline for the project after each status update so that you have a static copy of that project data.

Users transitioning from Primavera P6 Professional or Microsoft Project to Oracle Primavera Cloud will generally know how to use baselines. However, they may not know how to access them in OPC. In this article, we will go over how to create, manage, open, and compare baselines in Oracle Primavera Cloud.

CREATING BASELINES

Before attempting to create a baseline, you will first want to open a project and access the Activities page. To create a baseline, select the Actions dropdown menu and choose Manage Baselines.

The Manage Baselines window will display all baselines created for the open project. Select Add Baseline to create a new 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.

Baseline Type 

Here, you can choose a type to best identify the baseline being created. There are four types to choose from – but for the first baseline, you’ll only have access to the Original type. The type chosen will relate to columns and bars that can be added to the Activities screen. If you create a baseline and set its type to Original, that will be the baseline that will appear in the Original Baseline columns that can be added to the Activities table.

OPC features the following baseline types:

• Original: This type should generally be used for the first baseline created, after the project has been approved, but before the project has started. This will be the only type available when creating the first baseline for the project. Only one baseline at a time can be set to Original.

   

• Current: This is known as the “active baseline”. This type generally should be used to host the most current status update baseline. This type is usually used to compare differences between the original project schedule and the updated schedule. Only one baseline at a time can be set to Current.

   

• Supplementary: This type can be used for any other baseline that may need to be created. This type is often useful to create before performing a major adjustment to the project schedule. 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.

Baseline Date

Under Baseline Date, you can choose which date within the project’s history to copy for the baseline. By default, this field will be set to the present date – meaning that the baseline will be a copy of the current project data. However, this date can be adjusted and set to any date since the project was added to the database. If you choose a past date, the baseline will be created from the version of the project at that specified date. If you ever forget to create a baseline before performing a status update, you can always retroactively create a baseline from the pre-update date as needed.

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. The baseline will automatically appear in the Manage Baselines window.

MANAGING BASELINES

Once baselines are created, they can be managed and adjusted within the Manage Baselines window. Here, you can adjust the Name, Description, and Type by double clicking in the associated field.

Baselines can also be deleted by selecting the context gear and pressing Delete.

OPENING BASELINES

One of the biggest differences between Primavera P6 Professional and Oracle Primavera Cloud is the ability to work with baselines. In P6, baselines could only be viewed through layout adjustments – such as adding baseline columns to the Activities table or baseline bars to the Gantt chart. In OPC, baselines can be opened as if they were a separate project. Baseline data can even be adjusted if needed.

To open a baseline in Oracle Primavera Cloud, you will want to be on 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 the activity table and Gantt chart. Any adjustments made to the project with a baseline open will be saved to the baseline copy, and not to the current schedule. This allows you to adjust baseline data without adjusting 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

In Oracle Primavera Cloud, the current project schedule can be replaced with a baseline version if needed. This will overwrite the current project data and replace it with the baseline data. 

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. 

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

A warning will appear to let you know that this action can not be undone. 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 has been converted to the current schedule.

COMPARING BASELINES WITH OTHER SCHEDULE VERSIONS

With a baseline created, it can be compared with the current schedule, any baselines, or any scenarios. Schedule comparisons allow you to compare the activities, dates, durations and all other data types between two schedule versions. It’s often useful to compare the original baseline with the current schedule once updated, as this will show how far ahead or behind your actual dates are from your original planned dates.

To perform a schedule comparison, hover over the Schedule app and select 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.

Once selected, press Compare.

Using the table, Gantt chart, and details section, you will be able to compare data between the baseline and the updated schedule. Here, you can quickly track how far ahead or behind the updated schedule is from the original baseline plan.

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Lauren Hecker is an Oracle Primavera Cloud Instructor and teaches onsite and virtual Oracle Primavera Cloudcourses. To see her next open enrollment course, please visit our calendar. To schedule an onsite or custom course, please contact us!