Compare Two Versions of a Project Schedule

Compare two versions of your project schedule by selecting a Source schedule and a Comparison schedule in Compare Mode. The Source and Comparison schedule versions can be the current schedule, a baseline, a scenario, or a specific point in time since the project's creation.

The schedule comparison process calculates variances between the Source and Comparison versions of your schedule and displays the variance data in several areas of the page, each with a distinct purpose. You can view variances in the table, detail windows, Gantt chart, and Schedule Variance Analysis panel.

All data on the Schedule Comparison page is read-only. The data that is visible depends on your user permissions. If you do not have the required permissions to view certain data, that data will not display, or it will be replaced with a  Lock icon. For example, cost data is completely hidden for users who do not have the required permissions to view that data. See Security Permissions for Schedule for additional information.

To run a schedule comparison analysis:

Navigate to the Schedule Comparison page for a project.
Select two versions of the project schedule that you want to compare in the Compare Schedule Versions dialog box, which opens automatically when you navigate to the page:
1. Select the Source schedule.
2. Select the Comparison schedule.
Select Compare to run the comparison analysis.
Note: The selected schedules are not automatically scheduled before the comparison process is run. For the most accurate comparison of calculated values, it is recommended that you schedule both schedules before running the process.
After the schedule comparison process completes, the results are displayed on the following areas of the page:
- Activity Table: Displays activities from both schedules, including added and deleted activities. The Change Type column displays badge indicators in the activity row when an activity has been added, edited, or deleted from the schedules being compared. Additional column options are configured in the page settings.
- Gantt Chart: Displays activity bars for the two schedules being compared. Select the  Gantt icon to display the chart.
- Schedule Variance Analysis: Displays added, deleted, and changed values for all fields across the project. Drill down into a category to view data for individual items. Analysis options are configured in the page settings. Select the  Schedule Variance Analysis icon to display the panel.
- Detail Windows: Displays categorized variances for the selected activity. If a value in the schedule is not new, deleted, or changed, it will not appear in a detail window.
  Note: For more information about each area, see Working with the Schedule Comparison Page.

Tips

You can compare two schedules from Merge Mode without merging them. You cannot run a merge process from Compare Mode.
The Schedule Comparison page supports additional quick filter options to refine the number of activities displayed on the page. In the  Quick Filters list, select values on which to filter, and then select Apply. Apply multiple quick filters to further reduce how many activities are displayed. Clear a single filter to show more results. Select Clear to clear all filters.
Grouping options, configured in the page settings, apply to the Source/Merge From schedule.
When activity date indicators are enabled, the Schedule Comparison table displays indicators for activities with Actual Start dates, Actual Finish dates, and activities with assigned constraints. When the As Late As Possible constraint is selected, the constraint indicator is not displayed. See Configure Activity Date Indicators to enable indicators.
Configured fields will be applied to any version of the schedule: the current schedule, scenarios, and baselines. They will always display in the grid, but will only appear in detail panels and the comparison panel (Schedule Variance Analysis panel) if there are variances.

Last Published Tuesday, May 21, 2024