What is a Baseline used for?

[bwudtke]

Hey PTC Community,

I had a question regarding a baseline, and tried looking acrossed the web and couldnt find much resource to explain the use of a baseline within windchill. Could someone possibly let me know what the advantages of having a baseline are? does it help everyone out in the long run? How can you view a baseline? I am fairly new to windchill and thought that this could possibly help out our company I just need to find out more information on how to use it, and what it is best used for.

Thank you!

Brock

[SimonHeath]

Baselines are very useful objects. Basically they are nothing more than a snapshot of a set of objects in a moment in time. For example we can create baseline from a BoM and then I can always view that BoM using that baseline, so from a PLM perspective they are useful. In low volume manfucturers the can be used to store an exact configuration that is applicable for a specific client, but they can be used in many other ways. They are an easy way to collect a set of objects together, so for example we have used them recently to store a set of documents that have been sent out for translation.

Use a test system and have a play, creating a baseline is easy and you can go to the object page and see what it contains. You can update the contents and also set one object as the primary object in the baseline.

Other configuration management techniques are important, such as effectivity, but baselines make up an important part of any PLM system.

Simon

Wincom Consulting