Baseline Functionality

Ellen Honigstock

@Jeremy Michaels, do you have a sample template that you could share. It's probably less complicated than it sounds.

 

Thank you!

 

Ellen

Jeremy Michels

Ellen,

 

I have several pages that I can share. What exactly are you looking to see? I have several versions. 

Ellen Honigstock

Jeremy,

 

you mentioned "Master Parent Row, Master Parent Child as we call It and then Master Child.  We use this to be a template in the template and then build the sheet." I"d love to see an example.  We have projects that ebb and flow more than I'd like and It would be great to ground them to a baseline set of dates.

 

Ellen

Tara Collins

+1 more on the need for Baseline / Planned vs Actual dates.   I also would like to conditionally format based on how the project is tracking to the baseline. It appears that for now, I will have to come up with a solution based on several of the work arounds mentioned here.

Alexandra Salines

We also would love to have baseline funcionality applied to gantt.

Travis

Thanks for the feedback everyone! 

 

Tim, Dean, Jeremy, ACharvet, Avi, YouReachedEd, JWeintraub, Mark, Tara and Alexandra I am tracking your votes! 

Sara Lenz

I would also like to see this information on the Gantt.

Taslima Afroze

I've started to follow this discussion as well.  We are trying to set up our project milestone task and are thinking as below:

 

|  Start date A    |  Proposed Finish Date B |  Revised Fin Date C   |  Actual Fin Date D |

 

it does looks complex but it gives us clear understanding at which point we need to raise flags or what time frames works better for which tasks.

 

But problem is, so far I could only tie two columns not can't seem to tie all together.

If B changes to C, Following task's A & B will change

if we C is done we can close the task by putting Actual Date D. Here to mention some time we might not even need C and a task can straight get completed from B to D.

 

And when we complete D our following task date A also changes according to the allocated duration.

 

I'm not sure how to exactly tie all these. Any feedback would be really appreciated.

 

thank you

Fernando Tonon

We'd like that functionality too!
When Smartsheet's duration was days-only, I'd do something related to Talisma's solution:
Start Date | Duration | End Date | [Which would vary as the project progressed] | Projected Start Date | Proj. Duration | Variation

- and the same would go for the budget, as we charge in hours worked.

That would return schedule and cost variations across single activities as well as whole Work Packages. However, since dates and costs are calculated through predecessors and formulas (and so they shift as the projects change), I have to manually input baselines. If you consider 150+ rows, it can be pretty time consuming.

 

Maybe it would be nice to see a feature that would take "snapshots" of the whole project with a click of a button. As the project progresses and more "baseline snapshots" are taken, those could generate reports, maybe as columns within the Smartsheed and Gantt, so they can be visible at will.

 

To avoid manually inputs to the "baseline" mentioned above, lately 've been thinking about taking those "snapshots" by exporting the smartsheet into Excel [and attaching that file whithin the pertinent Smartsheet]. By updating it from time to time it could be able to calculate and figure out those variations.

 

Those mentioned reports could state activities added and removed (issues and unknowns that appear during a project), and date, duration, budget changes.

Of course, now there's always "Cell History", but for quickly showing an unimpressed client or sponsor how you missed a deadline or managed to spend less than budgeted, it just doesn't cut it. Not practical.

 

Cheers Everyone!

Michael Robison

+1 on Baseline to include report templates, planned performance vs. actual performance. 

 

Aside from Critical Path (function), Baseline tracking and reporting is a uber basic necessity for any PM Gantt tool.

Jim Hartman

Although it is possible to generate a baseline and variances within a smartsheet, it is clunky to have to copy and paste each time you want to change the baseline. Microsoft Project offers a one click option to establish the baseline and allows you to establish multiple baselines quickly. It will then generate a report very easily showing variances. I would like to see this functionality added to Smartsheets and prefer the report as opposed to a visual.

Louise O'Day

This message is for Jeremy Michels  could you possibly email me at loday@irisys.com as I am very interested in the way you have your sheets set up. It sounds like something I need (want) to put in place. 

Thanks so much

louise. 

Willem Hart

Jeremy, would you be able to share the templates you refer to above?

Louise O'Day

Travis

I cant see any of the graphics you have posted.  

Please let me know how i can see them.

Thanks

Louise

Enis U

+1 on the need for Baseline - Planned vs Actual dates in the Gantt view. It's a of the key things for our PM. 

Is there an indication when this functionality could be available in the Smartsheet?