Introduction to Snapshots and Baselines
Snapshots & Baselines will save a historical records of data at a moment in time. With this data we can track how projects, programmes and portfolios changed over time, to identify trends, support informed decision-making, manage risks, and continuously improve project outcomes. Without this historical perspective, it would be difficult to gain the insights necessary for strategic planning and portfolio management.
In Power Framework PPM, automatic Snapshots can be scheduled in the system (e.g. weekly or monthly). Snapshot configuration defines which data items will be included.
Baselines are identical to Snapshots in terms of the data being saved, however Baselines can be run manually by the users to create the snapshot on request. This might be done to mark significant events such as a project progressing to the next stage.
Please note that Snapshots & Baselines are an optional feature and may not be enabled for your organisation.
Working with Snapshots & Baselines
In Portfolios, Programmes and Projects, a dedicated tab shows Baselines and Snapshots on file for the respective entity:
Baselines shown in the top section have been created by a user (or may have been created by workflows triggered by specific events such as Stage Gate progression, these would have been custom-configured for your organisation).
Snapshots in the bottom section are the automated snapshots created on a regular basis as scheduled for your organisation.
Adding a Baseline
Click + Add New Baseline to create a Baseline on request, as a snapshot of the current project/programme prior to a significant event or update.
The form displayed allows you to enter descriptive information relating to this Baseline, to provide context for the snapshot data that will be stored. Fields to be entered are as follows:
| Field | Comment |
| Name | A descriptive title to identify the purpose of this Baseline |
| Locked | Set to 'Yes' to prevent any other user from deleting this snapshot. |
| Comments | Optional narrative to provide further description |
| Reason | Pick a value to classify this Baseline |
| Change Request | Optionally pick a Change Request on file for this project/programme, to relate to this Baseline. Do this to indicate that this Baseline represents a snapshot of the project/programme before the Change Request is applied. |
Click Save & Close to return to the list. The Baseline snapshot will be created by a background job. The Snapshot Status column indicates the progress of that job (i.e. progressing from Scheduled to Processing to Available).
Viewing Data of a Snapshot
Data relating to any Snapshot with Snapshot Status 'Available' is available for reporting.
You can can pick any 'Available' snapshot to view its data, by clicking on it in the (Baseline or Snapshot) list. The snapshot details screen is shown:
It features the button at the top. Clicking on it will open a new browser tab, showing the project's Investment and Resource Demand figures and comparing the Selected snapshot to the Last (i.e. most recent) snapshot.
In the example below, the 'Sn Spend' report page is selected. It shows Forecast and Actual figures of the two snapshots (Selected and Last), and indicating variances. Scrolling to the bottom of the report shows the totals (e.g. indicating in this example that Forecast cost has increased by a total of 71,838, equivalent to 8.19%).