How do I set dependencies and save a baseline?

Setting a dependency

Dependencies are set per activity, not by dragging on the Gantt chart — look for the small dependency (link) icon next to each activity row.

1. Click the dependency icon next to the activity that should come second.
2. Under “Add a predecessor,” choose the activity it depends on from “Choose an activity…”
3. Choose the dependency type: Finish-to-start (the default — the second activity can't start until the first finishes), Start-to-start, Finish-to-finish, or Start-to-finish.
4. Click “Add.”

If the dates you've entered actually violate the dependency you just set — the predecessor finishes after the successor is supposed to start, for a Finish-to-start link — the dialog flags it with a visible warning rather than silently accepting an impossible schedule.

Saving a baseline

A baseline is a snapshot: once saved, it doesn't change, even as you keep editing the live schedule. That's what makes “are we behind?” answerable later.

1. In the Baseline panel, click “Save baseline” (needs at least one activity first).
2. Give it a Name — for example, “Contract baseline.”
3. Click “Save baseline.”

Once you've saved one, select it from the “Compare against” dropdown to see variance — how the live schedule has drifted from that snapshot. See how delayed status and variance are shown.