Baseline Start VS Start in Microsoft project

 In Microsoft Project, the Baseline Start and Start fields have different purposes and meanings:

1. Start Date (Start Field)

• Definition: The Start field shows the scheduled start date of a task based on the current project plan.
• Changes? Yes, it can change if the task is delayed, rescheduled, or dependencies shift.
• When is it used? It is used for tracking the current plan and adjusting schedules as needed.

2. Baseline Start Date (Baseline Start Field)

• Definition: The Baseline Start field shows the start date of a task at the time the baseline was set.
• Changes? No, it does not change unless you manually update the baseline.
• When is it used? It is used for comparing the original plan (baseline) with the actual or current schedule.

Key Differences:

Feature	Start	Baseline Start
What it shows	Current scheduled start date	Original planned start date when the baseline was set
Can it change?	Yes, if the schedule updates	No, unless you reset the baseline
Purpose	Shows real-time scheduling	Tracks project performance vs. the original plan

Example:

1. You schedule a task to start on March 1 and save a baseline.
   • Baseline Start = March 1
   • Start = March 1
2. Later, due to delays, the task is rescheduled to March 5.
   • Baseline Start = March 1 (remains the same)
   • Start = March 5 (updates to reflect the delay)

🔹 Why is this important?
Comparing Baseline Start with Start helps track project delays, measure performance, and report changes effectively.

Let me know if you need more details! 😊

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