Project / Report Info
Cost Performance Summary
Monthly Expenditure Log
| # | Period | Planned Expenditure | Actual Expenditure | Cumulative Planned | Cumulative Actual | Variance | % Complete | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | 0 | 0 | ||||||
Cash Flow & S-Curve Charts
Monthly Cash Flow
Cumulative S-Curve
Cost Report Summary
About this cash flow and S-curve tool
This tool turns a month-by-month expenditure log into the two charts every cost report needs: a monthly cash flow bar chart and a cumulative S-curve comparing baseline against actual spend. It is built for project managers, cost control engineers, quantity surveyors and planners who have to report where a project's money has gone and where it is heading.
What you enter
Project and report details at the top, then one row per period in the expenditure log. Each row takes the planned (baseline) amount and the actual amount for that period. Leave the actual blank for periods that have not happened yet — the baseline curve still runs to the end of the contract while the actual curve stops at the data date.
What it works out
- Cumulative planned and cumulative actual expenditure per period
- Period variance and percentage complete, calculated automatically
- Total budget, taken as the sum of planned expenditure
- Planned to date and actual to date, through the last actual period
- Cost variance and remaining budget
- Percentage of total budget spent, shown as a progress bar
Reading the two charts
The monthly cash flow chart shows spend in each individual period, which is what tells you the peak funding requirement and when it falls. The cumulative S-curve shows the running total, which is what tells you whether the project is tracking its baseline. The characteristic S shape comes from slow mobilisation, a fast main construction phase, and a tapering closeout.
Interpreting the gap
An actual curve below the baseline usually means the works are behind programme, but it can equally mean delayed invoicing, slow certification, or a real saving. A cost curve on its own cannot tell you which. Read it alongside measured physical progress, and where you need to separate schedule performance from cost performance, use earned value analysis, which gives SPI and CPI directly.
Getting data in and out
Periods can be imported from an Excel or CSV file rather than typed, exported back to CSV, and the whole report printed or saved as a PDF with project details and a sign-off block for issue.
Frequently asked questions
What is an S-curve in project management?
An S-curve is a graph of cumulative cost or progress plotted against time. It takes an S shape because spend is slow during mobilisation, accelerates through the main construction period, then tapers off during completion and closeout. Plotting the actual curve against the baseline shows at a glance whether a project is ahead of, behind, or on plan.
How do you create a cash flow S-curve for a construction project?
Break the contract duration into periods, usually months, and distribute the contract value across them according to the approved programme to give the planned baseline. Record actual expenditure as it occurs. Running totals of each series produce the cumulative planned and actual curves. This tool does the accumulation, charting and variance calculation once you enter the monthly figures.
What is the difference between cash flow and an S-curve?
The cash flow chart shows how much is spent in each individual period, so it is a bar chart of period by period amounts and reveals the peak funding requirement. The S-curve shows the running total of everything spent up to each period, so it reveals overall progress against the baseline. The tool draws both from the same data.
How is cost variance calculated?
Cost variance is the difference between the actual expenditure to date and the planned expenditure over the same periods. A positive figure means more has been spent than the baseline allowed for that point in the programme, and a negative figure means less. It should be read alongside physical progress, because underspending can indicate delay rather than saving.
Why is my actual curve below the planned S-curve?
An actual curve sitting below the baseline usually means the works are behind programme, though it can also reflect delayed invoicing, slow certification or a genuine saving. Because a cost curve alone cannot distinguish these, compare it against measured physical progress. Earned value analysis, which separates schedule performance from cost performance, is the usual next step.
Can I import my expenditure data from Excel?
Yes. Use the import button to load periods from an .xlsx, .xls or .csv file, and the period table, charts and KPIs update automatically. You can also export the current periods back to CSV, or print the whole cost report as a PDF for issue.
Who uses project cash flow and S-curve reports?
Project managers, cost control engineers, quantity surveyors, planners and client representatives. Contractors use them to forecast funding requirements and support interim payment applications, while employers and consultants use them to monitor spend against budget and to give early warning of cost overrun.
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