Working with Cost Curves
Cost curves present budget, forecast, and actuals data in a time-phased format, enabling project managers, program managers, and budget planners to view and plan costs per time period. The various curves are visible and editable from different pages within the application. The following is a summary of where these curves are used.
Capital and Expense Sub-Cost Curves
You can configure the Planned Budget, Forecast, and Actuals curves to display capital and expense sub-cost curves. On the Cash Flow page, this option is available when the applicable curve uses the Manual source. See Configure Cash Flow Curve Sources.
For a portfolio budget plan, you can configure capital and expense sub-cost curves for the Target Budget, Portfolio Proposed Budget, and Portfolio Approved Budget curves. For more information, see Set the Budget Planning Options for a Portfolio.
Budget Curves
Target Budget
The target budget for the entire planning horizon for the budget plan. This value can be adjusted per budget plan scenario.
Editable: Budget Planning, Published Views
Viewable: Budget Planning, Published Views
Planned Budget
The planned or estimated lifetime cost of a project. Can be configured to show capital and expense sub-cost curves which are displayed as additional rows.
Editable: Cash Flow. This value can be entered manually, replaced with the Project Current Budget or a project cost field from the Cost Sheet, or brought in through a connection with P6 EPPM.
Viewable: Cash Flow, Budget Planning, Published Views, Spending, Scorecard
Portfolio Proposed Budget
The proposed budget allocation for a project or a budget plan scenario spanning the portfolio's planning horizon, entered by the budget planner. The proposed budget allocation for a project is the budget value that the project or program manager and budget planner negotiate on. The Portfolio Proposed Budget is a standard curve on the Cash Flow page at the budget plan level, but not at the project level.
Editable: Budget Planning, Published Views
Viewable: Cash Flow
Portfolio Approved Budget
The multi-year approved budget assigned to the project or budget plan scenario by the budget planner for the current planning year. The Portfolio Proposed Budget becomes the Portfolio Approved Budget after a budget plan scenario is approved.
Editable: This value can only be populated through the approval of a new proposed budget.
Viewable: Cash Flow, Budget Planning, Published Views, Spending, Scorecard
Forecast Curves
Forecast
The remaining or forecast cost of the project. Forecast typically equals the Planned Budget before a project begins.
After a project begins, the Forecast is updated periodically throughout the life of the project, as the remaining cost estimates change and money is spent.
This is a time-phased Forecast for the life of the project, which could span multiple years. Can be configured to show capital and expense sub-cost curves which are displayed as additional rows.
Editable: Cash Flow. This value can be entered manually, replaced with a project cost field from the Cost Sheet, or brought in through a connection with P6 EPPM.
Viewable: Cash Flow, Budget Planning, Published Views, Spending, Scorecard
At Completion
The At Completion Total Cost from a cost-loaded P6 EPPM schedule.
This cost curve will only appear if the application is connected with P6 EPPM. This value can be copied into the Forecast curve by the project manager on the Cash Flow page.
Editable: Cannot be edited.
Viewable: Cash Flow
Actuals Curves
Actuals
The actual costs incurred for the project (such as invoices, payments, and accruals). Can be configured to show capital and expense sub-cost curves which are displayed as additional rows.
Editable: Cash Flow, Cost Sheet. This value can be entered manually on the Cash Flow page, replaced with Project Current Actuals value or project cost field from the Cost Sheet, or brought in through a connection with P6 EPPM. When connected with P6 EPPM, the Actuals from P6 EPPM are always brought into the Actual Cost from P6 curve, and then can either be copied in, or set as the source of the Actuals curve.
Viewable: Cash Flow, Cost Sheet, Budget Planning, Published Views, Spending, Scorecard
Actual Cost from P6
The actual total cost from a cost-loaded P6 EPPM schedule.
This cost curve will only appear if the application is connected with P6 EPPM. This value can be copied into the Actuals curve by the project manager, or set as the source of the Actuals curve on the Cash Flow page.
Editable: Cannot be edited.
Viewable: Cash Flow
Variance Curves
Variance curves show the difference between two cost curves over time. Use them to compare actual costs, forecast costs, planned budgets, and portfolio budget amounts.
On the Cash Flow page, you can display the following variance curves:
Actuals - Forecast
The difference between the Actuals and Forecast curves.
Actuals - Planned Budget
The difference between the Actuals and Planned Budget curves.
Forecast - Portfolio Approved Budget
The difference between the Forecast and Portfolio Approved Budget curves.
Portfolio Approved Budget - Actuals
The difference between the Portfolio Approved Budget and Actuals curves.
On the Budget Planning page, you can display the following variance curves when reviewing a budget plan scenario:
Proposed Budget - Planned Budget
The difference between the Proposed Budget and Planned Budget curves.
Portfolio Proposed Budget - Forecast
The difference between the Portfolio Proposed Budget and Forecast curves.
Resource Cost Curves
You can display the following view-only resource cost curves on the Cash Flow page:
Resource Demand
The aggregated cost of all project roles based on demand. This value is displayed as the Summary of Demand Costs on the project Resource Demand page.
Resource Commitment
The total cost of project roles associated with committed units. This value reflects approved allocations from a resource scenario and is displayed as the Summary of Commitment Costs on the project Resource Demand page.
Resource cost curves are not supported when the globally configured fiscal year differs from the calendar year.
Benefits Curves
Benefits
The anticipated income or positive cash flow from which all charges, costs, and expenses are subtracted to arrive at the net income for the project or program. Used to calculate Net Present Value (NPV), Return on Investment (ROI), and Internal Rate of Return (IRR).
Editable: Cash Flow. This value can be entered manually on the Cash Flow page or replaced with a project cost field from the Cost Sheet.
Viewable: Cash Flow, Budget Planning, Published Views, Scorecard
Last Published Monday, October 19, 2026