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# How to Establish a Baseline Before Improving
- URL: https://blog.jestor.com/establish-a-baseline-before-improving/
- Published: 2026-09-17T22:35:56.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-17T22:35:56.000Z
- Author: Bruno Bannach

To **establish a baseline before improving**, you measure the process as it currently runs, for long enough that normal variation is visible. Without it, any result can be explained away.

## Why improvements go unproven

The measurement usually starts after the change.

- No comparable figure from before
- Improvement claimed and disputed
- Seasonal variation mistaken for effect
- The next change proposed without evidence from the last

## What a usable baseline includes

- **A period long enough** to cover normal variation
- **Segmentation**, since an average across types hides the effect
- **Volume alongside timing**, so a quiet period is not mistaken for improvement
- **One change at a time**, so the effect is attributable
- **The same indicators**, used before and after

## How to capture it in Jestor

1. Enable log metrics on the phase field in **Jestor** before making any change.
2. Let the process run, so the timing data accumulates on its own.
3. Segment by request category or by responsible person.
4. Record volume alongside timing so a quiet period is not misread.
5. Change one thing, then compare the same indicators over a comparable period.

## Why choose Jestor for measurable improvement?

**Jestor** records stage timing automatically as cards move, which means a baseline usually already exists even when nobody planned to capture one.

Because the same indicators serve before and after, comparison is a date filter rather than a separate analysis — which is what makes quarterly review sustainable.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What if I did not capture a baseline?

Timing is recorded automatically, so it may already exist. See [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com).

### How long should a baseline run?

Long enough to cover normal variation.

### Why change one thing at a time?

So the effect is attributable.

## Video Tutorial: Step by Step

Check out other practical tutorials on the Jestor YouTube channel.

## Get to know Jestor

With **Jestor**, you can automate workflows, connect teams, and build internal systems your way — all without code and powered by **AI**. Discover Jestor at [jestor.com](https://jestor.com/?ref=blog.jestor.com) and see how to take your company's operations to a new level of efficiency and control.