S Curve in Google Sheets

What is S Curve in Google Sheets?

An S-curve in Google Sheets is a graph that visually displays a project’s progress over time. It is an essential project management tool used to track costs, hours, and various metrics. An S-curve chart is a smooth line chart used to represent cumulative data over time. It tracks progress against a provided schedule and is widely used in project management.

In an S-curve, as shown in the example below, the x-axis represents time, while the y-axis represents the project’s performance. This could be any metrics such as hours or finished tasks. The graph we get is usually an S-shaped one called an  S-curve because it usually forms an S-shape when plotted. In the example below, we have months in the x-axis and the cumulative percentage of project completion in the y-axis.

How to Create a S Curve in Google Sheets?

The S-curve in Google Sheets is also called the sigmoid curve. Here, “sigmoid” comes from the Greek word “sigma,” which means S-shaped. An S-curve helps us study the planned work and the executed work and compare them. The figure we get after plotting the graph with the data usually depicts a slight S curve in the graph, depending on the data. Let us look at how to create a simple S-chart in Google Sheets below.

Step 1: First, we must prepare the data effectively. For this example, we are taking the year in Column A and the organization’s profit in Column B.

Step 2: First, we must go to the “Insert” tab. Choose Chart, as shown below.

Step 3: Then, click “Smooth Line Chart” in the Chart Editor under “Line in the Setup tab.

Step 4: We get a smooth line which is a S curve Google Sheets, as shown below.

You can double-click on the x- and y-axis and make scale changes.

Under “Customize,” you can change the chart and axis titles by selecting the option “Chart & axis titles.”

Summarising, to plot an S curve based on your requirements, first define the parameter you wish to track.

Below, we will track the progress percentage and sales growth in the different examples. Gather the data of these parameters over time.

Then, calculate the cumulative values for each period.

Next, we plot the cumulative data on a graph. The time is on the x-axis, and the cumulative value is on the y-axis.

This will result in an “S”-shaped curve. It helps visualize how a project progresses over time. It usually has a slow start, followed by a rapid middle phase and gradual completion.

Examples

Normally, when we want to plot the S curve for any specific project, we observe a slower start of the project, while in the middle phase, we can observe the rapid pickup, followed by a slower final part. The examples given below will illustrate this.

Example #1

In this Google sheets curve example, we will show you how to plot an S Curve in Google Sheets. The table below shows the details of a retail store’s profit growing over the months. Let us now plot the S-curve for it.

Step 1: Select the data in the table.

Step 2: Click Insert -> Chart. In the Chart Editor, under the Setup tab, select Smooth Line Chart under the Chart Type.

Step 3: The S Curve for this table will look like it is in the below image.

Example 2 – Project Progress Over Time

In the example given below, we have a software project task list with steps like design, coding, deployment, etc.

To schedule this job and check it using an S-curve, a manager usually gives 100% weightage to the total project and distributes it among all the tasks.

The distribution depends on factors like priority and clearance.  

Step 1: You can see the job descriptions in column A and the percentage allocations in column B.

Step 2: Now, we should plan the duration required for the completion of each task. In this project, we distribute the percentage weightage monthly from June 24 to November 24. For this, we determine how much percentage should be achieved each month. The distribution in columns C to H is given below.

Step 3:  As a final step, we must have a table with months in one column and the percentage weightage as a running total in the adjacent column. We use the TRANSPOSE function to add the months in a vertical column.

Use the following formulas for the same.

Column J: Months, enter  =TRANSPOSE(C1:H1)

Column K: Cum % =TRANSPOSE(SCAN(0, C8:H8, LAMBDA(a, v, a+v)))

Step 4: Select the range J1:K7. In the Chart Editor, under the Setup tab, select Smooth Line Chart under the Chart Type.

Step 5: You get an S-curve based on the selected data. In the Customize section, you can choose from several customization options, Such as adding axis titles and title customization.

Example 3 – Sales Growth of a Product

Let us try to model an S-curve for sales growth over time in Google Sheets using a logistic growth function. This is appropriate for cases where growth starts slowly, increases rapidly, and slows down as it approaches details such as the market saturation point. Let us look at how to plot the same.

Step 1: First, we enter the period. Here, we trace the growth from 2018 to 2024. We represent the years as 1, 2, etc., as we need them in the calculations.

Step 2: We create a formula for the sales that follows an S-curve. The formula could be as follows:

Here, L is the maximum sales; here, we assume it to be 10000

K is the growth rate; here, we assume 0.4.

t₀=4 (growth reaches half of the maximum at year 4).

Enter the following formula for the sales growth based on in cell B2.

=10000/(1+EXP(-0.4*(A2-4)))

This formula calculates the sales value for each year based on the above growth equation.

Step 3: Press Enter and drag the formula down for the other years to get sales values for each time.

Step 4: To plot the S curve in Google Sheets, Select the range from A1 to B8. Next, go to the menu: Insert → Chart.

In the Chart Editor, change the chart type to “Smooth Line chart.” It is under the Setup tab.

The chart should show the typical S shape. The sales increase slowly, rapidly accelerate in the middle, and then slow down at the end.

Important Things to Note

• The x-axis in the S curve always represents time. The y-axis represents any progress, such as task completion or money spent on construction.
• The S-curve usually reaches its highest value when the progress is maximum. Therefore, it can also be used in financial data modeling and cash flow.
• One can make budget comparisons with the S-curve chart.
• S-curves are very helpful in warning early of project risks or performance issues.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Download Template

This article must help understand S Curve In Google Sheets with its formulas and examples. You can download the template here to use it instantly.

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