Baselining
Baselining is a project management and software development methodology that involves establishing a fixed reference point or standard for a project's scope, schedule, cost, or performance at a specific point in time. It serves as a benchmark against which future progress, changes, and deviations can be measured and managed. This practice is commonly used in agile, waterfall, and DevOps environments to ensure consistency, control, and alignment with project goals.
Developers should learn and use baselining to effectively manage project changes, track progress, and maintain quality control in software development. It is particularly valuable in large-scale projects, regulatory compliance scenarios, and when working with stakeholders to set clear expectations and manage scope creep. For example, baselining requirements at the start of a sprint helps teams measure velocity and adapt plans, while baselining code at a release point aids in version control and bug tracking.