Displaying baseline information in the spreadsheet

You can set up a new column or edit an existing column in the spreadsheet to display information that compares the live data with a particular baseline. For example, you might want a column to show the difference between the duration of tasks in the live data and the current baseline. You do this by displaying a field in a spreadsheet column.

Information that compares the live data with a particular baseline is known as 'variance information'. The fields that compare baseline information are therefore known as 'variance fields'. You can identify variance fields as they end with the word 'variance', for example Duration variance, Cost variance and Start variance. When you display a variance field in the spreadsheet, you must specify the baseline against which you want to compare information in the live data.

If the duration of a task in the live data is greater than the corresponding value in the baseline, the Duration variance field displays a positive value; if the value in the live data is lesser, it displays a negative value. For example, the Duration variance field displays 2d if a task is two days longer in the live data than it is in the baseline, or -3d if the task is three days shorter in the live data.

You can specify the way in which the Start variance and Finish variance fields display positive and negative values, using the Version 5 variance signing check box on the General tab of the Options dialog. Select the check box to display positive values if the value in the live data is less than the baseline, and negative values if the live data value is greater than the baseline. Clear the check box to display negative values if the value in the live data is less than the baseline, and positive values if the live data value is greater than the baseline.

To display baseline information in the spreadsheet:

Right-click a column heading, then select Table Definition. The Table Definition Properties dialog appears.
Locate the spreadsheet column that you want to edit, then click its first row to change the bar or task attribute, or click its second row to change the allocation attribute. A hierarchical drop-down list of attributes is enabled.
Select the variance field you want to display in the column.
Select the baseline against which you want to compare information in the current project in the Data field. You can select a specific baseline, or select Current Baseline to compare the live data against the baseline that is defined as being current. If you have associated different baselines with individual projects in a portfolio, you can configure spreadsheet fields to display information from the project baselines by selecting Project Baseline in this field.