A baseline as the name suggests is a line that is being
used as a base for future measurement. It is a reference. In Project
Management, the term baseline refers to an accepted and approved project
plan. Usually known as project baseline, it is a must for a project
manager that wish to monitor and evaluate the success of the project.
Without it there is no possibility to compare the current status of the
project with the initial estimated one.
With the help of project management software it is easier to manage project baselines
and the managers can calculate variances between baseline estimates and
project actual data. Having a baseline allows you to monitor the
project performance and to improve the quality of future estimates.