With a Baseline option, you can see how your actual project progress differs from the initial plan or just compare two particular versions, e.g. the current version of your project with a previously saved one. A baseline serves as a reference point to measure actual performance against the set expectations and requirements.
To save your current project as a baseline, click on the Baseline sign 1 in the top left corner and then on Create baseline 2. By default, it will be named according to the date and time of its creation. Click on its current name to edit it. If you want to remove that baseline, hover over baseline's name, and then click on the delete icon 3 to its right.
To see the baseline on the Gantt chart, check the box with its name 4. You will see a black line beneath each task on the Gantt chart, which will represent the baseline. Uncheck the box, if you want to hide it.
It is possible to save an unlimited number of baselines, but only one at a time can be displayed. You can also come back to your baseline as many times as you need throughout project implementation, and check the current state of the project with the one that has been saved as a baseline.
Once you choose a particular baseline that has been previously saved, you will be able to see all the deviations that have occurred since the plan was saved.
So, for example, if the task is supposed to be completed in 2 weeks, but eventually it has been prolonged, it will be displayed on a Gantt chart. The black line beneath the task bar will point how far the task has diverged from to an initial estimate, while the indications in red in the task list would point to initially planned dates.
Note that GanttPRO as an online project schedule maker provides a possibility to save the plan as a baseline even when the project has already started a long time ago.
To do that, go to the History of changes, select the initial version you want to save as baseline 1 and click on the Save as baseline sign 2 on the upper panel. This baseline will be added to a list with all the baselines and will be named according to the date and time when it has been saved.