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Home Excel Excel Resources Excel Charts S CURVE in Excel

S CURVE in Excel

Dikshita Jain
Article byDikshita Jain
Madhuri Thakur
Reviewed byMadhuri Thakur

Updated October 21, 2023

S CURVE in Excel

What is S CURVE in Excel?

The S curve in Excel is a graphical report that shows the increasing progress of a project over time. It is a measure of productivity, meaning it helps you track your project’s progress on a daily or monthly basis.

It is called the “S curve” because the graph or chart resembles the shape of the letter “S.” Creating the S curve in Excel involves making a scatter plot, line chart, or other appropriate chart type. It is helpful for real-estate builders & developers to track & implement different phases of the project in their ongoing building project, which will help finish the ongoing project within the scheduled time & the allocated budget. It is also useful to track the project timeline and its costs in the I.T. & pharma companies.

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S curve example 1.1

Cumulative Progress in S Curve

To understand the S curve, let us see how a project progresses over time.

  • In the S curve of any project, work starts at a relatively slower pace in the beginning and picks up slowly.
  • In the middle phase, you can observe the rapid pickup.
  • In the final phase, it gradually slows down, and the final tasks go slower.

How to Create S CURVE in Excel?

Let’s look at a few examples of how to work on S CURVE in Excel.

You can download this S CURVE Excel Template here – S CURVE Excel Template

Example #1: S Curve for Profit Growth

In this example, let us analyze the relationship between the number of units sold and the profit generated. We will create an S-curve graph in Excel to visualize how profit will likely evolve as the number of units sold increases.

Given:
Example 1

Solution:
Step 1: Select data A2:B12.
Step 2: Go to Insert Tab, select All Charts from Recommended Charts, and Choose Stacked Line from Line Chart.

Example 1.2

Step 3: Format the graph as per your requirement
Result:
The S-curve graph in this example shows that when you sell more products, your profit increases, speeds up in the middle (between 40 and 80 units), and stabilizes.

Graph 1

Example #2: S Curve for Popularity of Smartphone App

Let us track the popularity of a new smartphone app over 2 years by creating an S-curve in Excel.

Given:
Example 2

Solution:
Step 1: Select data A2:C13
Step 2: Go to Insert Tab, select All Charts from Recommended Charts, and Choose Scatter Chart.

Example 2.2

Step 3: Format the graph as per the requirement.

Graph 3

Both S curves show the typical pattern where smartphone users start with a lower number for a certain period (till 4th month). Soon it shows a rapid growth between the 5th and 8th month. From the 9th to the 12th month, it finally shows a stable user base.

Example #3: S Curve for a Building Project

We have a list of tasks for a building project and an amount allocated for each task. We need to create an S curve to show the percentage of work completed each week of the project.

Given:

BUILDING PROJECT TASK AMOUNT
Grading, Foundation & Framing $7,500,000
Roofing, Windows & Doors Installation $3,000,000
Electrical & Plumbing Work $2,000,000
Architectural Work $1,200,000
Site Utilities $1,000,000
Fire Suppression System $1,500,000
Final Inspection and Quality Assurance $1,000,000

Solution:
Here’s a step-by-step guide to how to create the S-curve in Excel.

Step 1: Enter Data in Excel
First, you need to have your project data in an Excel spreadsheet. Add the following columns:

  • Column A: Task list.
  • Column B: The budget allocated for each task.
  • Column C: The percentage of budget allocated for each task.
  • Column D: The starting week for each task.
  • Column E: The ending week for each task.
  • Column F: The duration of each task in weeks.
  • Column G to P: Each week’s progress % from Week_1 to Week_10.

It will look like this:
Example 3

Step 2: The next step is to calculate the total amount of each task by applying the sum formula. i.e. =SUM(B2:B8)

Example 3.2

Step 3: Calculate the % Allocation
Then, we will calculate the percentage allocation for each task using the following formula:
% Allocation = (Task Amount / Total Project Amount)
For the first task, we will use this formula:
=B2/$B$9
=43.60%

Example 3.3

Drag the formula till cell C8 to find the % Allocation for each task. Then, we also calculate the Total percentage by using the SUM Formula.

S CURVE in Excel-Example 3.4

Step 4: Add the start and end weeks and their duration in columns D, E & F.

S CURVE in Excel-Example 3.5

Step 5: Calculate the allocation percentage for each specific week (e.g., Week 1) using the formula below,
Week_1 allocation % = % Allocation for task / Duration of weeks

S CURVE in Excel-Example 3.6

Calculate the same for Weeks 2, 3, till 10 for all tasks.

Example 3.7

Step 7: Calculate the weekly progress by using the SUM Formula.

S CURVE in Excel-Example 3.8

Step 8: Calculate the Cumulative progress by using the below formula,
=H11+G12.

S CURVE in Excel-Example 3.9

Result:
Example 3.10

Step 9: Create the S Curve in Excel
Now, create the S-curve graph using the cumulative progress data.

1. Select row 1 (Week_1 to Week_10), hold the Ctrl key and then select row 12 (Cumulative Progress range).

Example 3.11

2. Go to the Insert tab and choose a line or scatter chart (whichever you prefer).

Example 3.12

Result:
Finally, you can view the S-curve for your project. Now, you can format your chart as per your requirements. We have added data labels for each percentage, added a red color to the data points, and added a green color to the curve.

S CURVE in Excel-Graph 2

In the above S curve we can see the project progresses at a constant and slow rate in the first 3 weeks. After that, the project picks up speed between Week_4 and Week_8. Finally, the project growth once again slows down from Week_8 to Week_10.

Uses of S CURVE in Excel

  • S-curve in Excel displays the phases of a product’s life, from introduction to decline.
  • It helps monitor project progress, comparing planned vs. actual performance.
  • S-curve compares planned costs to actual costs in project management.
  • It tracks resource usage over time to ensure efficient allocation.
  • It can also help predict future revenue growth in business.
  • It monitors defect rates and process efficiency.
  • It visualizes investment portfolio growth or financial product adoption.

Recommended Articles

We hope this guide on S CURVE in Excel, discussing how to create an S curve in Excel, was useful to you. You may also look at the following articles to learn more:

  1. Excel Normal Distribution Graph
  2. Scatter Chart in Excel
  3. Types of Graphs in Excel
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