In the course of project delivery, an approved baseline programme in Primavera P6 serves as the standard against which to measure actual progress and any changes. It is therefore important to give the programme a thorough review before setting the baseline.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Begin with the WBS. The work needs to be broken down into appropriate packages that match the project scope, with each activity placed under its proper WBS element.
Activities and Durations
The level of detail in the activities must be sufficient for planning and measurement. Verify that durations are realistic and that anything unusual has been reviewed. Confirm that the right calendars and activity types have been assigned.
Logic and Relationships
A review of the links between activities is in order. Should it be necessary, put in place the proper predecessors and successors, making sure to apply the right relationship type, whether that is Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish or Start-to-Finish. The logic must reflect the actual sequence of the work; check for open-ended activities or unnecessary relationships.
Calendars and Constraints
Prior to approval, the calendars need to be reviewed to ensure working days, shifts, holidays and non-working periods are correct. Do not overlook constraints either. Hard constraints like a Mandatory Finish should be used only when there is justification for them.
Critical Path and Float
Run the schedule and inspect the critical path to see if it provides a logical route to the completion milestone. Anomalies in total or negative float can indicate issues with the underlying logic or constraints.
Resources and Costs
Should the programme call for resource or cost loading, the planned costs, quantities, and assignments need to be verified. Any weight factors for measuring progress should be applied correctly.
Milestones and Deliverables
Make sure all the contractual requirements are included — key deliverables, handover dates, payment and other milestones — and that they are tied to the relevant activities that drive them.
Validating the Baseline
The last step before assigning the baseline is to run the necessary quality checks on the schedule. Review the forecast date, float, constraints, and other key schedule information with the project team to ensure the plan is in line with the agreed scope and sequence.
Once this is done, make it the primary baseline in P6. A well-prepared baseline will be a reliable reference point for tracking variance and progress throughout the project.
