Curve Profiles Overview

Curve Profile Overview Video

Curve profiles enable you to specify the allocation of scope assignment costs, quantities, and hours over the duration of an activity; resource or role hours spread over the duration of an activity; and budget quantities over their durations.

Amounts are distributed evenly throughout an activity unless a nonlinear distribution is specified using a curve profile. Scope assignments can use curve profiles regardless of whether they are linked to activities.

Interpreting Curve Profiles

After you navigate to the Curve Profiles dictionary page, you can view all of the default and custom curve profiles available to you. Select a curve profile to view a graph that represents how it works. The x-axis, at the bottom of the graph, represents the percentage of the object's duration. The y-axis, along the left side of the graph, represents the percentage of the object that has been allocated to the duration percentages. The numbers beneath the graph indicate the curve value percent, which is the percentage that is allocated at each increment of the duration.

Among the simplest built-in curve profiles is the Linear profile. Select it to view its graph. By default, the Linear curve profile evenly distributes 5.00% of the total quantity to every 5% increment in the item's duration, rounding as necessary.

Reference the table below for more information about curve profile options in the application:

Curve Profile Type

Definition

Back Loaded

Indicates a higher concentration of resource usage towards the end of a project or activity. This means that initial resource consumption is low, and it increases significantly until it peaks at the end.

Bell

Indicates that resource usage tends to start slowly, peaks midway through a project, and then ramps down again at project end. This is resembles a bell shape.

Delayed Double Bell

Indicates a scenario during which there may be multiple phases of a project with distinct risks and potential for delays. For example, a project's early phase might have one bell curve representing multiple delays and fewer resource needs, while the later execution might have another bell curve representing separate risks and potential delays.

Double Bell

Indicates that there are two distinct phases of a project during which there are known and separate peaks of resource usage.

Front Loaded

Signifies a higher concentration of activities and resource allocation at the beginning of a project or process, resulting in a steep initial slope on the curve that flattens out near project completion. Sometimes shown as an S-curve.

Linear

Signifies that there is a steady rate of resource usage and allocation, often best suited for projects that involve repetitive or sequential activities and tasks. This is also called uniform distribution.

Offset Triangular

Signifies a three point estimation for resource allocation that may be initially offset by other factors, such as risks and unanticipated costs. This is often best suited for projects without much historical data to account for potential shifts and multiple outcomes.

Three Step

Signifies that there are three possible estimations being considered for a project's resource allocation. In terms of cost, this could be initial planned cost, earned cost from budgeted cost against work completed, and actual cost incurred for total work completed.

Trapezoidal

Indicates a gradual increase in resource demand during the initial phase of a project, followed by a stable period, a peak, and then a gradual decrease as the project nears completion. This is especially useful for less complex projects to observe peaks and avoid resource constraints during critical phases.

Triangular

Relies on three distinct estimations for resource demand that account for risk and uncertainty during the project's lifecycle. This curve has a triangular shape with a minimum estimate, a maximum estimate, and a third value that represents the most likely outcome. The accuracy of the data depends heavily on the initial estimates for the project.

Triangular Decrease

Conveys information about how a project's cost or duration might decrease over time. The shape of the triangle represents the spread of possible outcomes for a decrease in cost, time, or other project variables.

Triangular Increase

Conveys information about how a project's cost or duration might increase over time. The shape of the triangle represents the spread of possible outcomes for the increase in cost, time, or other project variables.