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GuideUpdated Feb 2026 12 min read

20+ interactive project analytics charts explained — including the new EVM Source Toggle for switching between schedule-based and CSV-uploaded actual costs.

Overview

The Nahla AI Dashboard transforms raw schedule data into over 20 interactive charts, organized across five purpose-built tabs: Progress, Earned Value, Cost, Schedule, and Resources. Upload a Primavera P6 .XER file and the dashboard populates automatically — no configuration needed.

Each tab focuses on a different dimension of project health, letting you move from a high-level snapshot to granular drill-downs in seconds. In this guide we walk through every tab, every chart, and the newly added EVM Source Toggle that gives you control over how actual cost data is sourced.

Progress Tab

The Progress tab is your at-a-glance project health check. It answers the most fundamental question: how far along are we?

Progress Gauge and Completion Percentage

A large radial gauge displays overall physical completion, drawn from the weighted phys_complete_pct values across all activities. The percentage updates the moment new data is uploaded.

Schedule Status Indicators

Colored status badges show whether the project is Ahead, On Track, or Behind schedule. The thresholds are calculated by comparing Earned Value to Planned Value at the data date.

Activity Status Breakdown

A horizontal stacked bar (or donut chart) breaks activities into three buckets:

• Completed — Activities with 100% physical progress
• In Progress — Started but not yet complete
• Not Started — Zero progress, still ahead of you

Earned Value Tab

The Earned Value tab is the analytical powerhouse of the dashboard. It brings together S-curves, performance indices, and forecasting methods in one place — and with the new EVM Source Toggle, you now have full control over where your Actual Cost data comes from.

S-Curve Chart

The S-curve is the centerpiece visualization. It plots cumulative values over time with four distinct lines:

• PV (Planned Value) — blue line — the approved budget baseline over time
• EV (Earned Value) — green line — the budgeted cost of work actually performed
• AC (Actual Cost) — red line — what has actually been spent
• Forecast — dashed line — projected trajectory based on current performance

The chart automatically identifies the data date and extends a forecast line from that point to the project finish date, ensuring you always see the projected trajectory even when all historical data points are populated.

Info Ribbons

Six key metric cards sit above the S-curve, giving you instant access to the numbers that matter:

Ribbon	What It Shows
BAC	Budget at Completion — total approved budget (from project end)
CPI	Cost Performance Index — EV / AC
SPI	Schedule Performance Index — EV / PV
% Complete	Overall physical completion
Data Date	The status date of the schedule
EAC	Estimate at Completion — what the project is forecasted to cost

Ribbon

What It Shows

BAC

Budget at Completion — total approved budget (from project end)

CPI

Cost Performance Index — EV / AC

SPI

Schedule Performance Index — EV / PV

% Complete

Overall physical completion

Data Date

The status date of the schedule

EAC

Estimate at Completion — what the project is forecasted to cost

New Feature

EVM Source Toggle — You can now switch between two sources of Actual Cost data directly on the Earned Value tab, and every metric recalculates instantly.

EVM Source Toggle

Previously, the only way to incorporate real expenditure data was to upload a CSV file with monthly actual costs. Now, the dashboard includes a toggle switch on the Earned Value tab that lets you choose your AC data source:

• Schedule S-Curve (XER) — Uses the Actual Cost values embedded in the XER file's S-curve data. This is the default when your schedule has cost-loaded resources.
• CSV Actual Costs — Uses the monthly actual cost figures you uploaded via CSV. This option is available whenever a CSV file has been uploaded for the active report.

When you flip the toggle, the following happens immediately with no page reload:

• The AC (red) line on the S-curve redraws with the selected data source
• All derived metrics recalculate: CPI, SPI, EAC, VAC, and TCPI
• The info ribbon cards update to reflect the new values
• The forecast line adjusts based on the updated CPI

When to use which source: If your XER file has cost-loaded resources (labor rates, material costs assigned to activities), the S-curve AC data is already reliable. Use CSV upload when your actual expenditure tracking lives in a separate system (accounting software, spreadsheets) and differs from the schedule's resource-loaded costs.

EAC Method Selector

The dashboard supports four industry-standard Estimate at Completion methods. A dropdown selector lets you switch between them, and the EAC ribbon card plus forecast line update accordingly:

Method	Formula	When to Use
Typical	BAC / CPI	Cost variances are expected to continue at the same rate
Atypical	AC + (BAC - EV)	Past variances were one-time events; future work will be on budget
CPI-Based	AC + (BAC - EV) / CPI	Remaining work will follow the current cost efficiency trend
Combined (CPI × SPI)	AC + (BAC - EV) / (CPI × SPI)	Both cost and schedule performance affect the remaining work estimate

Method

Formula

When to Use

Typical

BAC / CPI

Cost variances are expected to continue at the same rate

Atypical

AC + (BAC - EV)

Past variances were one-time events; future work will be on budget

CPI-Based

AC + (BAC - EV) / CPI

Remaining work will follow the current cost efficiency trend

Combined (CPI × SPI)

AC + (BAC - EV) / (CPI × SPI)

Both cost and schedule performance affect the remaining work estimate

The EAC method selector works independently of the EVM Source Toggle. You can combine any AC source with any EAC method to model different scenarios.

Cost Tab

The Cost tab provides a financial lens on the project, breaking budget and expenditure data down by structure and category.

Budget Breakdown

A treemap or bar chart shows how the total budget (BAC) is distributed across the Work Breakdown Structure. Large cost concentrations are immediately visible, helping you identify where the money is going.

Cost Variance Charts

Bar charts compare budgeted versus actual costs at the WBS or activity level. Positive variance (under budget) appears in green, negative variance (over budget) in red, making it easy to spot problem areas at a glance.

WBS Cost Distribution

A hierarchical view shows cost allocation across WBS levels. You can drill into any branch to see how budgets roll up from individual activities to summary levels.

Schedule Tab

The Schedule tab focuses on time-related risks and the critical path — the chain of activities that determines the earliest possible project finish.

Critical Path Visualization

Activities on the critical path are highlighted, showing the longest chain through the schedule. Any delay to a critical activity directly delays the project finish date.

Float Distribution

A histogram shows how total float is distributed across activities. Activities with zero or negative float are flagged as highest risk. The chart helps you understand how much scheduling flexibility exists in non-critical paths.

Milestone Tracking

Key milestones are listed with their baseline dates, current forecast dates, and variance. Color coding flags milestones that have slipped beyond acceptable thresholds.

Resources Tab

The Resources tab shows how labor, equipment, and materials are allocated across the project timeline.

Resource Loading Histogram

A time-phased histogram displays planned resource usage per period. Peaks indicate periods of heavy demand that may need leveling or additional resources.

Over-Allocated Resources

Resources whose planned hours exceed available capacity are flagged. The chart highlights the specific periods and magnitude of over-allocation, helping you plan corrective action before it impacts the schedule.

Adding Actual Cost Data

The Earned Value analysis is only as accurate as its Actual Cost input. Nahla gives you two ways to supply AC data, and the EVM Source Toggle lets you switch between them at any time.

Option A: Automatic from Schedule (XER S-Curve)

If your Primavera P6 schedule has cost-loaded resources (labor rates, material unit costs, or expense items assigned to activities), the XER file already contains actual cost data within its S-curve tables. Nahla extracts this automatically during upload — no extra steps required.

When is this sufficient?

If your organization updates resource actuals directly in P6 and keeps the schedule in sync with your cost system, the XER S-curve AC will match reality closely. This is the simplest workflow: upload the XER and the dashboard is fully populated.

Option B: CSV Upload for Actual Costs

When your actual expenditure tracking lives outside of Primavera — in accounting software, ERP systems, or spreadsheets — you can upload a CSV file with monthly actual cost figures. Here is the workflow:

• Download the CSV template from the Earned Value tab. The template is pre-populated with the correct date columns matching your project timeline.
• Fill in monthly actual costs. Enter the cumulative actual cost for each period. Leave future periods blank.
• Upload the CSV using the upload button on the Earned Value tab. The system validates the file format and maps the data to the S-curve timeline.
• Toggle to CSV Actual Costs using the EVM Source Toggle to see your uploaded data reflected in the S-curve and all derived metrics.

You can switch back and forth. The toggle does not delete either data source. Both the XER S-curve AC and the CSV AC are stored independently. Use the toggle to compare how metrics differ between the two sources — this is a powerful way to validate your schedule's cost data against your accounting records.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Dashboard

Upload regularly

The dashboard reflects the data in your most recent upload. Establish a weekly or bi-weekly cadence of exporting from P6 and uploading to Nahla so your charts always show the latest picture.

Compare AC sources

Use the EVM Source Toggle to flip between Schedule S-Curve and CSV Actual Costs. If the two AC lines diverge significantly, investigate the discrepancy — it often reveals data entry issues in either the schedule or the accounting system.

Try all four EAC methods

No single EAC formula fits every project. Use the method selector to model different scenarios: the Typical method assumes trends continue, Atypical assumes they will not, and Combined factors in both cost and schedule efficiency. Present the range to stakeholders rather than a single number.

Focus on the critical path first

The Schedule tab's critical path and float distribution charts tell you exactly where risk lives. Address zero-float activities before optimizing non-critical work.

Watch for resource peaks

The Resources tab histogram can reveal unsustainable demand spikes weeks before they become a problem. Level resources early to avoid costly overtime or schedule slippage.

Use the Analysis page for deeper questions

The Dashboard gives you a structured, chart-by-chart view. For ad hoc questions like "Which WBS packages are driving CPI below 1.0?" or "Show me high-risk activities with zero float," switch to the Analysis page and ask in natural language.

Have questions or feedback? Reach out at support@nahla.ai

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