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Baseline date governing successor activity date after removing the baseline

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Shree Abdullah
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Hello,

I removed the assigned baseline from my schedule, and deleted the same in the maintaining baseline. Now my baseline is set as current project. But still shows some acitvities as per the old baseline in the gantt chart. This problem is occuring only with those activities which have actuals. (picture attached). when i link any successor it takes the date of the former bar shown in the gantt chart. what is the problem here?

Replies

Zoltan Palffy
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yes u need to look at the schedule log and fix this after each update

Shree Abdullah
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Thanks a lot. The problem was with the logic.

I fixed it, the abnormal behaviour was due to out of sequence acitvities.

Thank again.

Patrick Mullen
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Hi Shree,

To reinforce Tom's point - When you create a new schedule for the first time, the planned dates from that original schedule that you create automatically get stored as "baseline dates". The image below shows an updated project where it references the original "Baseline Data Date", because that information is stored throughout the life of the schedule. Notice that the Baseline date is 6/13/18 whereas the current data date is 9/28/19.

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project_summary.jpg

Even if you don't have a baseline maintained or assigned to your current project, your "BL1" dates for activities that have made progress will reflect the original baseline dates, whereas activities that have not been started will reflect the current planned dates. But this only applies when you have selected the "BL1" columns to show in the activities table, or the yellow bars to show as "Primary Baseline" activity bars.

But as Tom mentioned, this has no effect on the logic in your current schedule. The "Start" and "Finish" date columns along with the gantt chart will reflect the dates from the logic in your current schedule. 

If you want to walk through it together, I do 1 on 1 tutoring at https://jobsessions.com/user/Patrick. I'd be happy to help you through it.

 

Rafael Davila
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It looks like poor software design as this issue is too common in P6.

http://www.planningplanet.com/blog/understanding-planned-dates-oracle-primavera-p6

Tom Boyle
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Shree,

I think you need to study a bit.  Start and Finish dates are computed completely independent from any baseline dates, whether "old baseline" or the "planned" dates that get substituted for missing baselines.  Unstarted activities are scheduled according to the status of their logic predecessors on the data date.  The primary problem illustrated by your image is that a couple of two-day activities have become 2.5-month activities, and their (presumed) successors have been delayed accordingly.  Baselines are irrelevant.   Good luck, tom

Zoltan Palffy
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uncheck the baseline bar in the bar settings

Shree Abdullah
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Dear Tom,

I think that may be the case. But how can i solve my problem. It disrupts the sequence of activities moving the dates of sucessor activity as per old baseline dates.

 

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asda.png

Shree Abdullah
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Thank you Patrick,

But the thing is there is no baseline maintained or assigned to my project. I am preparing a revised baseline of my project. Now there are many activities which have actual finish date earlier then their old baseline date. But when i link these activities to the successor activity, P6 calculates the start of next activity as per the old baseline date instead of the actual. 

I dont understand why it does that. The problem is not the showing of the bars, the problem is P6 calculating the successor date on the basis of old baseline dates.

 

Tom Boyle
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Shree,As described, you are seeing "planned" dates from your project.  In P6, planned dates are the same as early dates for unstarted activities.  When an actual start is recorded, however, the planned finish is frozen and decoupled from any future updates.  This might look like a baseline to you.  With external baselines removed, P6 reverts to "Planned" date fields from the current project wherever baseline dates are expected.  (In fact, I think it takes planned dates from the baseline projects as well.)  You should follow Patrick's advice and remove the baseline bars.  Good luck, tom
Patrick Mullen
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Hi Shree, 

I didn't see a picture attached, but my guess is that your bars are formatted to show the baseline bars even though a baseline is not assigned to the project. As shown in the picture below, make sure all of your "Baseline Bars" are unchecked in the "Format Bars" window so that the bars don't continue to show up in the gantt chart. Once you uncheck the bars, they'll be removed from your Gantt chart window.

If it's helpful, I wrote an article a while ago about comparing schedules in P6 and I discuss formatting the bars/columns for the baseline data.

https://jobsessions.com/post/35B22B1D-3FD6-5F41-EB4D-CD26A568F811

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bars.jpg