Explain the concept and importance of the Project Control Curves (S-CURVES) in project management.
An S-curve is defined as:
"A display of cumulative costs, labor hours or other quantities plotted against time. The name derives from the S-like shape of the curve, flatter at the beginning and end and steeper in the middle, which is typical of most projects. The beginning represents a slow, deliberate but accelerating start, while the end represents a deceleration as the work runs out."
Inputs Into S-Curves
S-curves are generated using 'something' versus 'time.' I say 'something,' because it could be costs, planned labor, actual labor, number of documents delivered - the list can go on and on. The only item that all S-curves have in common (or at least in project management) is time.
Example of an S-Curve
For the example you are looking at now, I decided to use project costs because costs are cumulative over time. As you can see, in the beginning of the project, costs are low. As resources are added and the project is in execution, there is a rise in the cumulative costs. Towards the end of the project, costs tend to level off as spending decreases and resources are released.
Example of a Comparison S-Curve
In this example, actual
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