Will creating a baseline report duplicate resource allocation?

Ivana

Hello, in Smartsheet's "Project Management Fundamentals" course, specifically in the section on Reporting, there's a great example on how you can compare the original plan (baseline) to actual project dates. The solution illustrated here is to Save As New the original plan (BEFORE you modify any dates), and save it outside of the Workspace. Then run a report calling data from both "baseline" sheet and current project sheet. This could be a very handy tool for us, but I am wondering what happens to the "allocated to" resource on the sheets? Will my resource management and resource view be able to filter out the resource allocation on the baseline sheet? If not, the resource will be "double allocated", and the resource view will be unrealistic. Is there any way to avoid this?

Thanks!

PPS Solutions

Hi Ivana, I have just tried the scenario you have outlined and I cannot prevent double-counting of Resource demand in the resource view with the Baseline and Live plan.   

We don't tend to use this approach, instead we save the Baseline within the live plan in additional hidden columns and then compare as necessary using formulas.   This prevents double listing of tasks which you would get in the report approach.  

I am aware that Smartsheet are planning on a Baselining feature but I obviously am not privy to if it will be definitely released or when.

Dan

Paul Newcome

You could remove the allocation column from one of the sheets.

Paul Newcome

Or change the column type to a regular text/number type in the baseline so you can still record who was originally assigned without it being a contact type which feeds into your resource allocation reports.