Adding variations to BAC in P6

Yasser,

This is a very big question, with an answer that really has to be tailored depending on the contract. But my "opening position" is

Use the "Project Baseline" as the baseline for earned value calculations.

When you add any new costs you DO NOT amend an existing resource record, you always add a new resource asignment record with a user defined text field that contains the VO number or change order number. This makes it easy to take the COs out later if you have to.

This means that earned value is NOT reflecting the curent scope, so regular meetings will be required to update the baseline. This has the excellent effect of not allowing change orders to hang around long without their commercial implication being decided

You also always know the amount of "unapproved" changes because the baseline and current cost are different.

If the primary baseline is left to current project, a single switch at the project level to reset earned value to primary baseline will help determine if you are working on "approved" or "unapproved" work.


have fun!

Thanks David,

I understand that VOs are not added to Baseline one by one. But there should be sufficient No. or group of them to change baseline 1. On the other hand, we already updated the current schedule (month No. 20 for Ex.). In this case, Do I need to add the same VOs in current project as in baseline 2?? or to update baseline 2 from the beginning (that is impossible) ??

Can you elaborate on how to perform EVA for baseline 2 with current project?? Do I need to recalculate the EV parameters manually using UDFs as formulas in Excel?? or is there a way to be calculated automatically as in baseline 1; I mean before applying COs.

Regards,

Yasser

AS long as you have version 6, updating baselines in the "Maintain Baselines" tab works fine. You could chose to restore the origonal baseline, make copy(s) of it, turn them into baselines (the "copy another project" option of creating a baseline) and update them by range of VO number....

under the "settings" tab at the project level you can chose to calculate EV from one of two baselines. I leave the primary baseline set to current project in "Assign Baselines" so that I can calculate EV from the current scope when required.

Thanks David.

That is very helpful.

Regards,

Yasser