View duration of tasks vs. baseline

View duration of tasks vs. baseline

In our e-course we've created a custom view to compare the Duration Tasks vs. the Baseline. In this view you can learn from your actual progress. The smileys will tell you how your duration is doing compared to the (current) baseline.

2c. Duration Tasks vs. Baseline

View duration of tasks vs. baseline2 Go to view 2c. Duration Tasks vs. Baseline:
  • Green smiley = value has not changed
  • Amber smiley = value has increased, but not more than 10%
  • Red = value has increased by more than 10%
  • Green minus symbol = value has decreased, but not more than 10%
  • Amber minus symbol = value has decreases by more than 10%

Explaining the results

Hovering over the symbol will show you the result of the calculation: duration / baseline duration. Notice that this is also done for summary tasks. A positive result (more than 1) means that the current duration of activities needs more time than previously estimated within the project: we have lost time! If the concerning activity is on the critical path, the project will be delayed! A negative result (less than 1) means that the current duration of activities needs less time than previously estimated within the project: we have gained some time! Although a negative result is of course good news for the project, we consider this to be an estimate that is not so good, as it would have delayed preparations for successor tasks longer than needed, freed up resources later than possible, etcetera.

Meaning of the flag

The flag in the column Finish vs Baseline indicates if the task has moved, warning that you should also consider if the following tasks require a new start date. If you forget this, you might lose valuable time in your schedule or you are considering end dates for tasks that are not realistic anymore.
  • Green flag = task finishes as expected
  • Red flag = task finished sooner or later than expected

Use of the baseline in your organisation

How often is the baseline functionality in MS Project used within your organisation? Share it in the comments below.
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