White Paper: Analyzing S-Curves

Using PRISM G2 to Conform to AACE International’s

Recommended Practice 55R-09
 ABSTRACT
This white paper explores the AACE International Recommended Practice
55R-09 on analyzing S-curves and describes how an earned value management
tool, like PRISM G2, can be used to meet and exceed its requirements.

INTRODUCTION
AACE International recommends that cost engineers and schedulers alike
develop S-curves to graphically display cumulative progress information over
time. These curves can be used to gain insight into almost any type of project. The curves are designed as an intuitive method of
conveying project progress status to the project team and stakeholders.

S-curves are a plot of cumulative costs, hours, quantities or other progress measurements (vertical axis) against time (horizontal
axis). They are designed to visually compare planned progress against current and forecasted progress. To be most meaningful,
the earned value must be plotted with the planned and actual values. The primary point of Recommended Practice 55R-09, is that
graphic presentation promotes understanding of progress.

RECOMMENDED PRACTICE
In the AACE Recommended Practice (RP), there are three primary types of S-curves: baseline, actual and earned value. These
plots typically have a time-period that reflects the reporting period for the project (often monthly), but a more detailed weekly or
even daily timescale may be useful for specific projects. Two other types of curves are described by this RP including quantity
produced and cash flow curves. In this paper, you will learn how PRISM G2 meets the requirement for all of these curves and
more.

Developing Curves
Developing an S-curve first requires the preparation of a project schedule. The schedule is used to determine when resources will
be expended to accomplish the work of the project. The values (costs, hours, quantities or other measures) are associated with
the scheduled activities. From that, the S-curve is determined. Note that is important for the schedule to be of sufficient quality.
To ensure that, it should include:

• Documentation of the schedule basis

• Start and finish dates and milestones
• No open-ended activities
• Minimized or eliminated constrained dates
• Critical path analysis (including float, early and late schedule etc.)

• Resource leveling

Progress Measurement (Earned Value) & Comparison to the Baseline Curve

Earned value is referenced and illustrated in multiple examples within the RP. A separate AACE Recommended Practice outlines
earned value management practices and therefore this RP does not discuss it in great detail. However, it is important to mention
that PRISM G2 is an earned value management tool for use on projects of many sizes and types. It uses earned value management
principles to aid project cost control personnel to report and provide insight into the status and progress of projects. Using PRISM
G2 helps an organization to apply earned value management principles in a consistent manner across various projects, and over
time it will help to improve the way in which projects are executed.

PRISM G2 enables the project team to conform to all the recommendations in the AACE International Recommended Practice
55R-09. This tool is designed to develop an original baseline, generate an early and late approved budget and to compare them to
the actual values and the earned values as suggested by the RP. The PRISM G2 graphic representation of this information is very
useful to aid managers in quickly grasping the progress and status of a project. Let’s take a deeper look at how PRISM G2 helps
organizations to conform to the RP.

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TYPES OF S-CURVES IN PRISM G2
Figure 1 illustrates the Time-Phased Cost table from a control account in PRISM G2. This data is used to build the S-curve
graphic reports. The lower pane is labeled “Control Accounts – Time Phased Costs”. There are two other tables for time-phased
quantities and time-phased hours.

Figure 1

PRISM G2 generates all the types of S-curves detailed in the RP.

• The baseline budget, the approved budget, the earned value and the current actual/ETC curve are the four most
commonly used. These four curves in PRISM G2 represent the three curves called baseline, actual and earned
value in the RP.
• These four curves can readily be displayed using costs, hours or quantities provided the user can gather this
detail and finds it useful. In the PRISM G2 reports, these curves show cumulative values as recommended in
the RP.
• There are two alternate budget curves available in PRISM G2, called control budget and financial budget. The
user will need to determine if they are useful for their organization and what they will specifically represent.
Financial cash flow curves, funding curves, and commitment curves are also available.
• There are eight additional user-defined numeric fields that can be used to define and generate additional time-
phased data to produce other curves.

So, PRISM G2 provides all the time-phased data requirements of the recommended practice. Now, let’s take a closer look at the
different types of curves and how they are typically used in PRISM G2.

Baseline Budget
The baseline budget field in PRISM G2 is designed to reflect the original planned execution of the project. It is often established at
the time of an original investment decision or at least early in the lifecycle of the project. It is formed from the original estimate,
and the original schedule is used to time-phase the data and produce the baseline curves.

Approved Budget
The approved budget curve in PRISM G2 usually reflects the original planned execution, plus approved scope changes to the
project. The budget scope changes are applied in the period in which they occur using date information provided by the schedule.
This may be in advance of a detailed design phase or in advance of the construction phase. Either or both can be maintained
because PRISM G2 uses detailed change management records to justify and explain the differences between the baseline and
the approved budget curves.

Also, PRISM G2 conforms to the RP requirements regarding the generation of an early approved budget curve (see approved
budget in Figure 1) and a late approved budget curve. The difference between these two curves is the float determined in the
schedule which is created using critical path methodology. Thus, the approved budget S-curve can be displayed with both early
and late limits and delineate a “banana” shaped area on the graph. If the project is performing within this graphical area then the
project is being delivered close to plan.

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Actual/ETC Data
The actual/ETC data represents the actual costs, hours or quantities currently used plus the forecasted (estimate to complete or
ETC) values to the end of the project. The actual plus the forecast values equal the total estimate at completion (EAC). PRISM’s
graphic reports indicate the previous and current reporting periods by color shading the background – thus distinguishing actual
and ETC values. PRISM G2 uses detailed change management records to explain and justify the changes which modify the EAC
to differ from the approved budget.

In Figure 1, there is an alternate data column called incurred/ETC. This is often used to reflect only the “booked” costs recorded
in the accounting system – whereas the actual costs represent the actual cost of work performed (ACWP), which includes
accruals. Actual and ACWP are ANSI standard names. PRISM G2 does not dictate whether you use actuals/ETC or incurred/ETC
to represent the actual cost of work performed. You may find US companies using actual/ETC (following the ANSI standard name)
and other companies using incurred/ETC to represent ACWP.

Earned Value
The earned value time-phased data reflects the budgeted value
of the work performed. Like the actual cost data, a portion of
the curve represents the current earned value (calculated each
period from the project start to the current reporting period
end) and the balance of the curve represents a forecast of
future earned value. This is shown in Figure 2 with the previous
period’s background colored displaying historical data.

Alternate Budgets – Control Budget

and Financial Budget
Alternate budgets are designed to allow the user to have
optional budgets. The user or his project team will determine
whether these are used and how to use them. For example,
an EPCM company may want to record an internal budget as
well as the owner client’s budget. So, they will need to use
the approved budget and/or the control budget. The earned
value based on the control budget (control earned value) or
financial budget (financial earned value) can also be calculated
and reported.
Figure 2

Cash Flow Curve

PRISM G2 has a method to estimate a financial cash flow by modifying
the actual/ETC or incurred/ETC curve. Factors such as advance payments,
payment delays retention percentages, retention delays and other similarly
averaged influences are used to change the actual/ETC curve to more closely
reflect cash requirements. See Figure 3, which displays the cost management
settings for cash flow.

Commitments
The timing of when commitments are released or planned to be released
can also be managed in PRISM G2 for comparison to other S-curves. The
commitment date is recorded automatically when a commitment is entered in
Figure 3 PRISM G2. Future commitments and dates are manually entered by the user.

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Funding
Some companies make multiple funding decisions throughout the life of one project. This Funding TPD column is used if you
desire to record these decisions and illustrate when additional funding is required. This funding is different from the measurement
baseline. Typically, funding is a requirement of finance and the approved budget is a requirement of earned value management
practices. Warning – confusion is sometimes caused when both are called approved budget by different parties in the company.

User-Defined Amounts Columns

PRISM G2 also enables the user to save the baseline, approved, earned or
actual/ETC curves for later graphic comparison. The user can save the data of
an important milestone such as the completion of the design. This is usually
done by labeling a “user-defined amount” field and then copying the data into
the field. User-defined amounts columns can also be calculated from other
PRISM G2 fields, calculated from details, or imported into PRISM G2. Figure
4 is the cost management setting for additional user-defined amounts fields.

Costs, Hours or Quantities

PRISM G2 provides fields for calculating time-phased data for costs, hours and
quantities (see Figure 5). Graphical reports showing time-phased costs, hours
or quantity values are available. The importance of time-phasing hours and
quantities will depend on the nature of the work. For this reason, it is entirely
Figure 4 valid to have labor hours or quantities available for some parts of the project
and to ignore them on other parts. Cost is likely the only unit of measure that
can be applied to the whole project and is, therefore, the most common unit. Hours may be a useful measure but are not used
for supplies and materials. Care should be taken when reporting quantities to ensure that units of measure are not mixed. Mixing
units of measure may cause confusion.

The quantity produced or quantity installed curves are two of the possible quantity based curves.

Figure 5

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PROCESS OF DEVELOPING S-CURVE DATA
Creating an S-curve within PRISM G2 requires the development of a schedule and an estimate of appropriate detail. These two
sets of data are usually generated in separate tools and then imported into PRISM G2. However, if the schedule is fully loaded
with all resources and costs then the estimate and schedule may both be imported from the scheduling tool.

Figure 6

Sample Budget Estimate Import Form

Figure 6 displays the PRISM G2 Budget Estimate import form for importing estimating data.

Sample Schedule Import Form

Figure 7 displays the PRISM G2 P6 Schedule import form which links PRISM G2 directly to Primavera P6 data tables. There are
two additional schedule import forms in PRISM G2 – Microsoft Project and a generic Excel import.

Figure 7

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Estimating and Schedule Data Integration
After the estimate and schedule data are imported into PRISM G2, the data is then linked to the PRISM G2 control accounts.
Figure 8 shows some of the estimate and schedule data integrated into a control account.

Figure 8

Advantages
One of the advantages of using this method with separate estimating and scheduling tools, is that it is not necessary to force the
estimating process onto the planning process. To elaborate, this means it is not necessary to manage every schedule activity with
the application of resources. It is not necessary to adjust every estimate item with schedule information. This does not, however,
relieve the planner of using appropriate resource leveling in the schedule; nor does it relieve the estimator of using appropriate
schedule information.

In PRISM G2, the schedule and the estimate are combined by applying an appropriate breakdown structure code to both. The
breakdown structure code is used to create control accounts. The control account is the level at which PRISM G2 uses the
schedule to create time-phased data (TPD). The TPD are the costs, hours or quantities distributed into the reporting periods for
the project. This process simulates the reality of most projects, where it is usual to generate the estimate and the schedule using
different tools. Thus, in many cases, the use of PRISM G2 has advantages over using only a scheduling tool. Another advantage
is that the details of the estimate (each estimate line item) and the schedule (each activity) can be made visible within the PRISM
control account.

IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN DEVELOPING S-CURVES

Project Lifecycle
During the various stages of the project, there are differing levels of detail required. PRISM G2 lends itself to this lifecycle. The
structure of the control accounts in PRISM G2 can fluctuate in their level of detail, depending on the stage the project is in. Also,
by providing the ability to roll up the details to a higher level in reports, the early stage information can be compared directly to the
later stage information.

Schedules and Estimates

PRISM G2 is designed to integrate the data from an estimate and a schedule. This integration is performed in the control accounts,
at the level at which it is determined to be most appropriate for project control. This integration is impacted because the process
of developing schedules and estimates can be very different.

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Schedules and estimates inevitably have different levels of detail. The requirements of scheduling and estimating make it difficult
to conform them to the same level of detail. Therefore, estimating and scheduling is frequently performed in separate tools. The
various stages of the project will also impact the details available. Fortunately, these differing levels of detail in the schedule and
the estimate are not a problem for PRISM G2. PRISM G2 allows for the assignment of multiple estimate lines to a single account
and multiple schedule activities to a single account. It also allows multiple control accounts to be assigned to a single activity.
So almost any combination of estimate and schedule details can be accommodated. Note that a lack of detail may reduce the
precision of the forecast, but that can be remedied later as more detailed information becomes available.

Early and Late Schedules

The critical path method of developing a schedule generates an indication of float – the amount of spare time between the earliest
and latest that each activity may be performed (given the resources assumed available) while still delivering the project on time.
With this method, if there is no float, then the item is on the critical path. The use of early and late dates can be used to generate
two curves - the early and late time-phased data. Using PRISM G2 requires no more effort to apply both early and late start and
finish dates than it does to apply only one set of dates – provided, of course, that they are available in the schedule. PRISM G2
treats early and late dates as follows:

• The approved schedule and approved budget will generate two sets of time-phased data – early approved
budget (called approved budget in the TPD table) and late approved budget.
• The baseline budget, actual/ETC and earned curves are all single sets of data. However, the user can determine
how much float is used in the spreading of this data. For example, if experience suggests that typically half of
the float is used on the project then the user chooses a 50% application of float in the TPD calculation for the
baseline, actual/ETC and earned value forecast.

No Schedule Tool
PRISM G2 allows users to either import the schedule activities or to manually enter schedule dates. The ability to manually enter
dates makes it possible to generate a schedule in PRISM G2. However, note that PRISM G2 is not a planning tool. It does not
enable you to use logic relationships between activities and resources to calculate dates as a scheduling tool does. It is common
in the early stages of a project to have some manual schedule input, but in later stages, when more details will be available, it is
better to develop a CPM schedule.

Change Management
The baseline budget in PRISM G2 is usually generated from a baseline estimate. The approved budgets in PRISM G2 are created
from the original budget plus any approved budget changes. Approved budget changes are usually limited to project scope
changes or budget shifts. PRISM G2 provides a detailed change management system that can record scope change. A sample
change entry is shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9

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 Figure 10

PRISM G2 records both a baseline schedule and an approved schedule to match with the baseline budget estimate and the
approved budget for S-curve generation. See Figure 10.

Current Estimate at Completion (EAC) and Actual/ETC Curve

The current estimate at completion (EAC) should reflect all known (and possibly the
likely) changes on the project. Therefore, change management in PRISM G2 will
also reflect non-budget changes. The current schedule (which reflects all known
impacts to the schedule) is updated and coupled with the EAC and the actual
values to create the actual/ETC curve. The actuals for each past period is updated
and the forecasted ETC is calculated for future periods and plotted to form the
S-curve (Figure 11).
Figure 11
Earned Value
The earned value (EV) is calculated from progress measurement percent complete (%) and the approved budget (AB). EV = AB
x %/100 for each control account. Each period, the current progress is determined for each account. The earned value for that
period is calculated and recorded. Future earned values (or the unearned budget value) is estimated for future periods in much
the same way as the forecasted ETC.

Group Codes
PRISM G2 uses what are termed “group codes” to manage sorting and filtering of data and reports. Reports and on-screen forms
can be filtered, subtotaled or detailed at all levels of the group codes. The work breakdown structure (WBS) is one of the most
useful types of group codes. Other group codes may be related to the organizational breakdown (OBS), cost breakdown (CBS),
categories of materials and services provided, location, phases or stage, and other codes. Codes can be defined at the enterprise
level (applicable to all projects) or at the project level (unique to each project).

For example, the phase or stage may be used to designate engineering design, fabrication, construction, or other portions of the
project. With the appropriate breakdown of the control accounts and application of group codes, PRISM G2 will isolate fabrication
or installation to display produced quantities or installed quantities curves as discussed in the RP.

Multiple Task Curves

Each individual control account in PRISM G2 has a set of associated methods for creating time-phased data by assigning curves
representing the profile of the work for that account. The control account has unique curves for baseline budget, approved budget,
control budget, and the current EAC.

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 Figure 12

These curves are used by PRISM G2 when the user triggers the time-phased data calculation for the control account. The user
has control over whether the baseline, approved or current actual/ETC TPD is being calculated.

Calculation Curves
The time-phased data calculation curve in PRISM G2 represents the profile of the work for an account. The PRISM G2 TPD
calculation uses the curve to weight each calendar day within the start and finish date of the account. Each control account records
four curves – one each for the baseline budget, approved budget, control budget, and the current EAC. Often these four curves
are all the same at the beginning of a project.

Many curves are available for selection and custom curves can be created by the user. Examples are described as follows:

• System generated algorithm:

- Activities – this is most useful when there are multiple activities from the schedule in the same control account.
When using this “curve”, the time-phased data is distributed to the period of each activity within the control account,
using the dates and weighting of each activity.
- Engineering data – draws upon the PRISM G2 Engineering module for details regarding the dates of delivery for
engineering deliverables.
- Field Package data – draws on the “progress accounts” in the PRISM G2 Field Management module to determine
the timing of the delivery of construction tasks.
- Even – distributes TPD evenly per calendar day over the period of the dates in the account.
- First – everything on the start date of the account.
- Last – everything on the finish date of the account.

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 • Standard curves are set up by PRISM G2 administrators at the Enterprise level for use in all projects. Examples
may be early, late or middle bell curves.
• Custom curves can be set up by PRISM G2 users at the project level.
• Staff Plan curves are drawn from the staff planning feature.
• Manual curves do not automatically spread the data and the user can update the time-phased data profiles as
needed – use of manual curves is not recommended, especially for current data, as it results in a significant
amount of manual work to maintain the integrity of the time-phased data.

Cost of Work Performed – Actual, Incurred and Accruals

Cost control practices require that the actual costs are the actual cost of work performed (ACWP). ACWP or actual is ANSI
standard terminology. However, actual data in PRISM G2 is often imported from an enterprise accounting system or ERP. This
accounting data typically does not reflect the current costs, hours or quantities due to any number of delays in recording invoices
or other data. Also, good project control practices require that the actual data can be reconciled with the accounting records.

Cost engineers will obtain information from the project team to enable recording the actual cost, hours or quantities of the work
performed to date. The cost engineer will enter an accrual into PRISM G2 (it is labeled “ACC”) or calculate the accruals using a
pre-made utility, to represent the work accomplished but not recorded in the ERP. PRISM G2 will automatically reverse the accrual
in the subsequent period, during the period closing process.

Note that the PRISM’s TPD form has an incurred/ETC column. If desired, the user may also import booked accounting records into
this column to show the accounting information without any accruals. This may aid with the reconciling process. The roles of the
actual/ETC column and the incurred/ETC column can be reversed if desired by the users.

Progress Measurement Methods

The earned value (EV) is calculated from a measure of progress (%) and the approved budget (AB) (i.e. EV = AB x %/100.) PRISM
G2 has many progress measurement methods to calculate the current progress percent complete of a control account. The
progress method chosen for each control account should reflect the nature of the work and the most objective measure available.
A few of the methods are described below:

• Schedule activities progress: If the schedule is progressed each period, then this progress can be used to
calculate progress in the PRISM G2 control accounts.
• Control account tasks: For example, an account related to concrete may have tasks such as square meters
of forming, tons of rebar placed, cubic meters of concrete placed, and strip & finish. Each task has a relative
weighting applied (often relative costs), an EAC quantity. At each period end, the current quantity completed is
recorded to calculate the account progress.
• Engineering deliverables: The progress of engineering deliverables is recorded in the PRISM G2 Engineering
module and transferred to the control accounts.
• Field Progress Tasks: The PRISM Field Progress module is used to record detailed tasks and progress, which
is transferred to the control accounts.
• Calculated from actual and EAC entries of quantities, hours or costs: To use quantities or hours requires the
accounting entries and the accruals to include hours and/or quantities.
• The planned progress: This is useful when resource usage is not a factor, for example fixed costs like monthly
insurance, overhead, and others.
• Level of effort methods etc.

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REPORTS
The reporting feature in PRISM G2 provides many standardized reports, however the built-in report writer can also provide both
graphic and tabular reports. The graphic reports include S-curves, histograms, bar charts and “bulls-eye “reports. The purpose of
these standard reports is to simplify reporting and to provide reports that are useful to many projects. The reports are dynamic in
nature and include various options to sort and filter data and to display details or to summarize data. Each report specification can
be saved so that it can be reprinted in the future.

Standard graphic reports include:

• Executive Summary
• Time-phased Data Histogram and S-curve
• Actual Histogram and S-curve
• Actual Bar Chart and S-curve
• Budget Histogram and S-curve
• Budget Bar Chart and S-curve
• Progress Histogram and S-curve
• Progress Bar Chart and S-curve
• Performance Histogram and S-curve
• Performance Bar Chart and S-curve
• Performance Index curve
• Productivity Index curve
• Performance Bulls-eye

• Contingency Drawdown Histogram and S-curve

Figure 13

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TIME-PHASED DATA HISTOGRAM AND S-CURVE
The discussion below is specific to the time-phased data histogram and S-curve graphic report. It illustrates the settings that can
be chosen to satisfy the need for different S-curve reports. All the discussed S-curves can be displayed on this report. The purpose
of the report specification ID form is to provide the user with both flexibility and repeatability.

Typical Report Specification ID Form

The typical report specification ID form can be seen in Figure 13.

Flexibility
The standard S-curve report is flexible in the following ways. You can select:

• Report title and subtitle.

• Reporting periods – select the start period and finish period on the graph. If you leave them blank you get all
periods on the report.
• Graph type – select whether you show curve, histogram or both.
• Data type – select the data type (costs, hours or quantities) to be displayed. The default type is cost.
• Choose the data lines or curves. Up to six of the following curve types can be selected for a report:
- Baseline Budget

- Early Approved Budget

- Late Approved Budget

- Actual/ETC

- Earned Value

- Cash Flow

- Funding

- Control Budget or Financial Budget (alternative budgets)

- Commitments

- Up to 8 possible User Defined Columns

• Grouping sets the level of detail on the report based on group code. Use grouping to get multiple separate
graphs. For example, if you group by phase/stage you may get separate preliminary, engineering, procurement,
construction and commissioning graphics.
• Filters allow you to isolate data. The filter can be complex or simple. Filter the data based on group codes,
elements, descriptions or other categories.

Repeatability
You can easily reproduce the reports in PRISM.

• Specification ID - PRISM G2 encourages the user to save the selections noted above in a report specification
ID. If the user enters a specification ID and describes the specification purpose, the selections are saved for the
next time the report is desired. The same report is easily regenerated later.
• Batch ID– Assign the reports to “batch identifiers” to enable the user to run multiple reports at the same time.

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EXAMPLE REPORTS AND COMMENTS
S-Curve Graphic Report
If the user desired an S-curve graphic report, filtered for the phase to show only engineering data, showing approved budget, late
approved budget, actuals/ETC and earned costs; the specification ID would look something like Figure 14..

Figure 14

Note the following in the resulting graph in Figure 15:

• At the end of April, engineering has actual costs (red line) that are less than the earned value (green line). This
suggests that engineering is currently performing well. However, in this report, the total estimate at completion
(EAC) has increased from the budget. The cost engineer should:
1. Discover the root cause of this performance issue.

2. Determine if the actual costs are missing an accrual.

3. Determine if the earned value measure is accurate.

4. Review the previous EAC changes.

5. Determine if a change is required to the EAC to reflect performance to date.

• Note that the earned value lags the (early) approved budget by about one week at present.
• Also note that the late approved budget is very different from the approved budget. This suggests that the
schedule has a lot float. Determine if this is likely. Determine if a more detailed schedule changes this float.
• The current schedule completion is delayed compared to the budget plan.

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 Figure 15

Sample Histogram & S-Curve Report

Figure 16 shows a sample histogram and S-curve graphic report of approved budget, late approved budget, actuals/ETC and
earned costs. PRISM G2 allows the display of the monthly values as well as the graphical curve. This one shows a histogram and
S-curve. Figure 15 showed only the S-curve.

Figure 16

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Reports Grouping by WBS
Next, let’s look at a sample histogram and S-curve graphic report of approved budget, late approved budget, actuals/ETC and
earned costs with grouping by WBS level 2. This grouping produces four graphs which can be found in Figure 17. One for each of
the level 2 codes – Northeast Project General, Northeast Potable Water, Northeast Fuel Storage and Indirect Costs.

Figure 17

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Funding & Budget S-Curve Comparison Report
Figure 18 represents funding for a staged project. The funds for the next phase of the project will not be provided, for example,
until the regulatory approval is obtained. The budget and actuals S-curves combined with the funding curve illustrates when the
project requires additional funds.

Figure 18

Bar Chart & S-Curve Report

In Figure 19, note the bar represents the time-period for the phases of the project. Any WBS code can be used to produce the
bars. There are several similar bar chart reports in PRISM G2.

Figure 19

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TABULAR REPORTS
Time-Phased Data Report
A time-phased data tabular report subtotaled by phase can be found in Figure 20.

Figure 20

Performance Report
Next, let’s look at a project performance report instead of time-phased data. Figure 21 shows the data organized by control
package. It displays schedule variance (SV), cost variance (CV) and variance at completion.

Figure 21

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Other Earned Value Measurement Reports
There are many other reports based on earned value measurements in PRISM G2 including:

• Control Accounts
• Commitments and Actuals
• Change Management
• Progress and Performance
- Progress Update

- Physical Progress

- Progress

- Productivity

- Performance

- Performance Index

- Performance Data

• Time-Phased Data
- Time-Phased Data

- Time-Phased Budget

- Time-Phased Performance

- Time-Phased Head Count

- Time-Phased Funding

- Time-Phased Plan

- Employee Time-Phased Plan

- Employee Plan Versus Actual

• Cost Performance Reports

• Budget Details
• Schedule Graphics

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S-CURVE INSIGHTS
Change in Slope
A curve that changes slope significantly may be a sign that resource usage is not being considered carefully. As an example, in
Figure 22, it would be wise to review the three areas of greatest slope. It would be prudent to understand the reasons for May
(early budget), September (actuals) and Dec/Jan (late budget) peaks. If resources are not being considered then the forecast may
be too optimistic in these time periods.

Figure 22

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Contingency
Including contingency in the curves may cause problems with earned value or actual cost graphics.

• In Figure 23, the contingency account does not have actual costs nor progress. This is usual! In this example,
as the project progresses the approved budget for contingency is unchanged. The unearned value remains the
same as the original budget but is forecast to be earned in less and less time.
• The forecasted actual costs have been managed by reducing the forecast in the example. However, with only
five months left in the project below, will those contingency costs rise to a peak in October, supposedly at the
end of the project?
• Think about your approach to managing contingency. Watch it closely. Maybe you should remove contingency
from your S-curve reports.
• Note that PRISM G2 also provides a contingency drawdown report.

Figure 23

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Schedules with Lots of Float
The width between the two blue lines in Figure 24 indicates there is lots of float in the schedule. However, as previously pointed
out, the resource usage may not have been considered carefully, so where there is an increased slope in the lines the risk of delay
may be increased. If resources are available as predicted, it may be wise to use up float where possible if the cost of funds is a
significant factor in the project.

Figure 24

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Watch Out
Note the crossed blue lines in Figure 25. The late budget curve is earlier than the early budget curve. This is likely due to constrained
dates in the budget schedule. They need to be revisited. To a planner, the resulting negative float may be okay – simply a way to
identify tasks with a problem. However, these should be fixed before being used to generate S-curves.

Figure 25

This crossing of the curves is not usually visible in the overall project, so PRISM G2 supplies the user with utilities and reports to
find problems like this. Note the late finish date in January before the late start date in August in Figure 26.

Figure 26

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Be aware, a kink in the actual/ETC curve after the current period end suggests that you may need to revisit your forecast. Note
the more than 50% increase in costs from Sept to October in Figure 27. A significant change should be a result of a significant
change in project execution – such as a large purchase or added work. The project controls personnel must be able to understand
why this is happening. If the project is not increasing resource usage in the immediate future then perhaps:

• The actuals may not be accurate. Review the accruals.

• The EAC may need to be adjusted.
• The dates may need to be changed. Revisit the schedule.
• Review the TPD calculation curve in the control accounts.

Figure 27

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CONCLUSION
PRISM G2 conforms to all of the requirements of the AACE recommended practice 55R-09 and in many ways exceeds them.
There is plenty of flexibility to select different types of data. The S-curve reporting feature allows excellent ability to zero in
on important data. Reports are easily generated for repeated periods and readily modified when needed. The tool has many
useful features to enable the generation of accurate forecast curves. It makes it possible to add as much detail as is useful and
streamlines processes whenever possible. The system enables users to reflect on completed projects by keeping all data readily
available. This helps managers and users make improvements on future projects.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

R Jeremy Laevitt R Jeremy Leavitt is a Project Controls Consultant with ARES Project
ARES Project Management Project Management LLP. He has been involved in project controls since 1999
Controls Consultant primarily in Canada and Australia for Energy Industry, Engineering and Mining
Companies.

ABOUT ARES PRISM

ARES PRISM is an enterprise project lifecycle management solution that
supports the planning, execution, and completion of capital projects for
dependable forecasts, cost control, and performance measurement. As a pre-
made, off the shelf solution, you can experience the benefits of PRISM quickly
with simple and fast implementation. PRISM is a robust and mature system
that offers Cost, Change, Estimating, Engineering, Procurement, Contracts,
Field, Dashboard, Docs, and Integrator modules. PRISM aligns the project
budget and schedule, provides change management workflow and delivers
accurate reports and dashboards so that you have the transparency required to
pinpoint potential problems and make strategic decisions.

www.aresprism.com

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