Set and Save a Baseline

Once you complete the initial process of creating a schedule — entering tasks, establishing task dependencies, assigning resources, and checking and adjusting your schedule — you’re ready to set a baseline plan. By comparing your baseline information to an up-to-date schedule later in the project, you can identify and resolve discrepancies and plan more accurately for similar future projects.

If the Planning Wizard appears when you save your project file, you can have it save a baseline for you. If not, you can save it yourself.

To set a baseline

1. On the Tools menu, point to Tracking, and then click Save Baseline.
2. Click Save baseline, and then click Entire project.

By setting a baseline, only baseline information is saved. You haven’t created a separate baseline file. You cannot at some later time open and display a baseline plan. If you want to keep a project plan that contains baseline information only, you can create a backup copy of the project file at the same time as you set a baseline.

To save a project file with baseline information

1. On the File menu, click Save As.
2. In the File name box, type a name that reminds you that this file is a backup of baseline information.
   For example, you might type <project name> baseline <today’s date>
3. Click Save.

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