A type of curve on a graph that resembles the letter "S". It typically indicates periods of rapid growth followed by slower periods of growth repeating.
An S curve shows the growth of one variable (usually money) in terms of a second variable (usually time). For example, an S curve could represent sales over time. The steep section of growth represents when a company launched a new product. At this point in time, they attracted many new customers and sales numbers were above average. As time went on, the new customers began to taper off and sales numbers steadily decreased and normality returned. This represents the tail end of the S curve, otherwise known as the upper asymptote. Knowing the meaning behind an S curve is important and allows businesses to recognize that times of extreme growth will not last, nor will times of stagnation.
{Microdata type="HowTo" id="10004"}An S curve is a graph that shows a trend or process gradually increasing, then rapidly rising, and finally leveling off, forming a shape similar to the letter 'S'. It's commonly used to model growth patterns in biology, economics, and engineering.
In project management, an S curve visually tracks progress over time, showing planned versus actual performance. It helps managers identify delays or accelerate work to stay on schedule.
The S curve models population growth because populations usually start slow, accelerate rapidly, and then stabilize due to limited resources, matching the curve's shape.
S curves appear in technology adoption, learning rates, construction projects, and population growth, illustrating how progress accelerates and then slows down as limits are reached.
An S curve shows changing rates of growth or progress, while a linear curve represents constant, steady change. S curves are more realistic for processes that speed up and slow down over time.