*Basic

The S curve is a chart that is used to visualize and predict the performance of a project over time.[1] By comparing the expected shape of the S curve against its current shape, project managers can track the progress of a project.[2]

**Intermediate

The reason it's called the s curve is because the shape of the graph forms a shallow “S”.[3] The growth of the curve begins slow, just like a project. As more progress is made, the growth accelerates rapidly creating an upward slope. Then the growth begins to plateau, forming the upper part of the “s”, which is the project at maturity.[4] A sample s curve is shown below:[5]

***Advanced

Comparison of the Target S-curve and the Actual S-curve reveals the progress of the project over time.[6] The Actual S-curve will typically sit below the Target S-curve for most of the project due to a number of factors such as delays in updating the project schedule. But as the project ends both curves will come together.[7]

Sources

[1] Editors (2021) How S-curves can help you track project progress. Monday Blog. Monday.com
[2] [6] Editors (2019) Everything you need to know about S-Curve in project management. Task. Ntaskmanager.com
[3] Editors. What is the S-Curve in project management? Wrike. Wrike.com
[4] Taylor, D. P (2020) What is an S-Curve in project management? The blueprint. Fool.com
[5] Dunford, N (2018) The S-curve: How businesses actually grow. Ittybiz. Ittybiz.com
[7] Editors (2021) How to use S-Curves for Monitoring and Reporting Project Progress. Schedule Reader. Schedulereader.com