> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dash360.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Earned Value Curves > Visualize project cost and schedule performance over time with interactive S-curves for Budget, Earned Value, and Actual Cost, plus tabular summary and raw time-series data. Earned Value Curves ## Overview The Earned Value Curves report plots three core EVM metrics over your project timeline as S-curves; Budget (BCWS), Earned Value (BCWP), and Actual Cost (ACWP). The shape and relative position of these curves tells you at a glance whether you are ahead of or behind schedule and whether you are over or under budget. Below the chart, two tabs provide tabular views of the data: a **Summary** grid with key performance metrics and a **Graph Data** grid with the raw time-series values behind the chart. **URL:** `/EarnedValue/EarnedValueCurves/Index` ## Prerequisites * Select a **project** and **reporting period**. The chart and data grids do not load until both are selected. *** ## Reading the Chart The chart plots three spline curves over your project timeline: | Curve | EVM Term | What It Means | | ---------- | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Budget** | BCWS: Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled | The cumulative planned value of all work scheduled through each period | | **Earned** | BCWP: Budgeted Cost of Work Performed | The cumulative planned value of work actually completed through each period | | **Actual** | ACWP: Actual Cost of Work Performed | The cumulative cost of completed work through each period | **Reading the gap between curves:** * If the **Earned** curve is below the **Budget** curve, the project is **behind schedule** (negative Schedule Variance). * If the **Actual** curve is above the **Earned** curve, the project is **over budget** (negative Cost Variance). **Chart interactions:** * Click any **legend item** to show or hide that curve. * Hover over a data point to see the exact value for that period. * **Zoom** by clicking and dragging on the chart to focus on a specific date or value range. * **Pan** by holding and dragging after zooming to scroll along the axis. **Chart subtitle:** When secondary filters are active (WBS, Work Package, CAM, Currency Format, Start/End Date), the chart subtitle automatically updates to list all active filter values; for example, "Project: My Project | Reporting Period: Jan 2024 | WBS: 1.01 | CAM: Smith". This subtitle carries through to the Excel export. *** ## Summary Tab The **Summary** tab (active by default) shows a metrics grid with three rows: | Row | Description | | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Previous Cumulative** | Cumulative EV metrics as of the reporting period prior to the selected one | | **Current Period** | EV metrics for the selected reporting period only (period-to-period delta) | | **Current Cumulative** | Cumulative EV metrics as of the selected reporting period | Each row shows the following columns: | Column | Definition | | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Budget** | Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled (BCWS) | | **Earned** | Budgeted Cost of Work Performed (BCWP) | | **Actual** | Actual Cost of Work Performed (ACWP) | | **SV** | Schedule Variance = Earned − Budget. Negative = behind schedule. | | **CV** | Cost Variance = Earned − Actual. Negative = over budget. | | **SPI** | Schedule Performance Index = Earned ÷ Budget. Below 1.0 = behind schedule. | | **CPI** | Cost Performance Index = Earned ÷ Actual. Below 1.0 = over budget. | | **BAC** | Budget at Completion: total approved budget | | **EAC** | Estimate at Completion = CTD Actual + BAC − CTD Earned | | **VAC** | Variance at Completion = BAC − EAC. Negative = forecast over budget. | *** ## Graph Data Tab The **Graph Data** tab shows the raw time-series data behind the chart; one row per period from project start through the selected reporting period. | Column | Description | | -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Reporting Period** | The period date (formatted as month/year in Monthly mode, year in Yearly mode) | | **Planned** | Cumulative Budget (BCWS) for that period | | **Earned** | Cumulative Earned Value (BCWP) for that period | | **Actual** | Cumulative Actual Cost (ACWP) for that period | This tab is useful for verifying data or copying period-level values for external analysis. *** ## Available Filters The Project and Reporting Period selectors appear in the page header. All other filters are in the left-side filter panel, which activates after a reporting period is selected. | Filter | Description | Default | | -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------- | | **Project** | Required. Loads reporting periods for the selected project. | : | | **Reporting Period** | Required. Sets the "as of" date for all calculations. | : | | **Axis** | Sets the time granularity of the chart x-axis: **Monthly** or **Yearly**. | Monthly | | **WBS** | Limit the curves to a specific WBS element and its children. Selecting a WBS also filters the Work Package dropdown. | All WBS | | **Work Package** | Further limit to a single work package. Populated based on the selected WBS; select a WBS first. | All WPs | | **CAM** | Limit to work packages assigned to a specific Control Account Manager. | All CAMs | | **Start Date** | Trim the chart to start at this date. Combined with End Date to zoom to a specific window. | Project start | | **End Date** | Trim the chart to end at this date. | Project end | | **Currency Format** | Override the display divisor for this session. | Registry / User Setting | **Currency Format options:** | Option | Effect | | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | | None: Use Registry / User Setting | Uses the project's configured currency format | | Default | Display values in base currency | | K Value | Display in thousands | | M Value | Display in millions | *** ## When to Use This Report Use EV Curves at the start of any status review to establish the overall performance picture before diving into CPR detail. The S-curve immediately reveals whether performance is improving or degrading over time; something a tabular report alone cannot show. Use the **Axis** toggle to switch between monthly granularity (useful for recent periods) and yearly (useful for long-range projects to see the full arc of performance). Use the **WBS** and **Work Package** filters to narrow the curves to a specific area of the project when investigating a localized cost or schedule issue. *** ## Exporting Click the **Download** icon and select **Export to Excel** to download `EVCurves.xlsx`. The workbook contains three sheets: | Sheet | Contents | | ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **EV Chart** | The S-curve chart as an embedded image | | **EV Summary Data** | The Summary grid (Previous Cumulative / Current Period / Current Cumulative rows with all metric columns) | | **EV Chart Data** | The Graph Data grid (one row per period with Reporting Period, Planned, Earned, Actual) | ***