A baseline is a fixed point of reference that is used for comparison purposes. It can be any number that serves as a reasonable and defined starting point for comparison purposes. The term "baseline" is used in various fields, including surveying, navigation, sports, business, and project management. Here are some examples of how the term is used in different contexts:
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Surveying and Navigation: In surveying and navigation, a baseline is a line serving as a basis, especially one of known measure or position used to calculate or locate something.
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Sports: In sports, a baseline is a boundary line at either end of a court, such as in tennis or basketball.
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Business: In business, a baseline is a fixed point of reference used to measure the success of a project or product against a baseline number for costs, sales, or any number of other variables.
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Project Management: In project management, a baseline is a clearly defined starting point for a project plan, used as a reference point to compare actual progress against the original plan. There are three types of baseline in project management: schedule, cost, and scope.
Overall, a baseline is a starting point that is used to evaluate the effects of a change, track the progress of an improvement project, or measure the difference between two periods of time.
