Changes are Not Reflected in Custom Reports- Why? How Address this Issue - Brief Step by Step

SN. Panigrahi 0 Reputation points
2026-09-18T17:31:32.5666667+00:00

In MS Project - Baseline Start & Finish are Originally as per Start & Finish; But Baselines are Changed Latter in Gantt Chart. However, the Changes are Not Reflected in Custom Reports- Why? How Address this Issue - Brief Step by Step

Microsoft 365 and Office | Project | For home | Windows
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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-18T17:31:54.6933333+00:00

    Custom reports may not reflect the changed baseline because variance and baseline-based reporting depend on which baseline was updated and whether the related tasks and summary tasks were included correctly.

    Brief step by step:

    1. Verify that the baseline was actually updated.
      • Go to View > Gantt Chart.
      • Select the tasks to update, including subtasks and summary tasks if needed.
      • Go to Project > Set Baseline > Set Baseline.
      • Choose Set baseline and select the correct baseline.
      • Under For, choose Entire Project or Selected tasks.
    2. If updating selected tasks, use the roll-up options.
      • Under Roll up baselines, select:
        • To all summary tasks
        • From subtasks into selected summary task(s) when needed
      • If both subtasks and summary tasks were selected, select both check boxes.
      • This matters because summary-task baseline data may otherwise remain out of sync with subtask baseline data.
    3. Confirm the report is using the baseline that Project uses for variance.
      • Project uses only the initial Baseline field, not Baseline1 through Baseline10, when calculating variance.
      • If the custom report is based on variance fields, updating a numbered baseline may not change that report.
    4. Check for new or changed tasks not included in the baseline update.
      • If new tasks were added after the original baseline and not added to the baseline plan, variances can appear equal to scheduled values.
      • If resources or tasks were added and the summary task baseline was not updated, individual tasks may be correct while summary reporting is not.
    5. Make sure actual values are updated for in-progress or completed tasks.
      • If actual values are not updated, variances can remain equal to scheduled values or look larger than expected.
    6. Recheck the data in a built-in comparison view.
      • Go to View > Tables > Variance to compare scheduled and baseline dates in a sheet view.
      • Or go to View > Gantt Chart > Tracking Gantt to compare them graphically.
      • This helps confirm whether the issue is with the baseline data itself or only with the custom report.
    7. If multiple baselines are being used, compare them directly.
      • Go to View > Gantt Chart > More Views.
      • Select Multiple Baselines Gantt and click Apply.
      • By default, this shows Baseline, Baseline1, and Baseline2.

    Why this happens:

    • The baseline may not have been updated for the correct tasks.
    • Summary tasks may not have rolled up the updated baseline values.
    • The custom report may rely on variance fields that use only the main Baseline field.
    • New tasks, changed resources, or missing actuals can make report values look unchanged or incorrect.
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  2. Hendrix 1,750 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-09-18T18:03:16.0766667+00:00

    Hi Panigrahi,

    Regarding your concern, you can review the forum's AI-suggested answer, as it provides accurate information.

    Microsoft Project can store multiple baselines, including Baseline and Baseline 1 through Baseline 10, and each baseline has separate Start and Finish fields. The custom report usually references a different baseline field from the one displayed in the Gantt Chart. For example, the Gantt Chart displays Baseline1 Start / Baseline1 Finish, but the custom report still uses Baseline Start / Baseline Finish.

    To resolve this issue, please follow these steps:

    • Open View > Gantt Chart > add the following columns:
      • Baseline Start
      • Baseline Finish
      • Baseline1 Start
      • Baseline1 Finish
    • Check which baseline contains the revised dates.
    • Go to Report > Custom > open the affected report > select the report table/chart > open the Field List.
    • Make sure the report uses the same baseline fields shown in the Gantt Chart. For example, if the revised dates are stored in Baseline 1, use:
      • Baseline1 Start
      • Baseline1 Finish
    • Close and reopen the report to refresh it.
    • If the revised dates do not appear in any baseline fields, update the baseline through Project > Set Baseline > Set Baseline and select the appropriate baseline.

    Please note that changing only the Gantt bar formatting does not update the underlying baseline data used by reports.

    I also recommend keeping the original plan in Baseline and saving an approved revised plan in Baseline 1, rather than overwriting the original baseline.

    Hope this information is useful. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to share them in the comments below. I'm very happy to help.

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