Burndown Chart
A Burndown Chart measures how much planned work remains over time during a sprint or project. It provides a real-time view of whether teams are progressing steadily toward completing their goals within a timebox.
Calculation
Burndown is typically visualized using a chart that tracks remaining effort - measured in story points, hours, or task count - on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis.
This is a visual metric, not a formulaic one, but it is based on:
burndown = remaining planned work per day
The team compares actual progress against a guideline or “ideal burndown” line that declines linearly toward zero by the end of the sprint or iteration.
Goals
A Burndown Chart helps teams and stakeholders monitor whether sprint progress is tracking to plan. It answers questions like:
- Are we on track to finish the sprint?
- Is work being delivered consistently throughout the iteration?
- Are blockers or scope changes slowing progress?
Burndown provides a lightweight planning signal that supports mid-sprint adjustments and helps identify execution issues early.
Variations
Burndown Charts may also be referred to as Sprint Burndown, Iteration Burndown, or Task Burndown. Common breakdowns include:
- By work unit, such as story points vs. ticket count
- By granularity, such as sprint vs. epic vs. release burndown
- By team or product area, to compare velocity and progress trends
- By tracking interval, such as daily vs. hourly for high-frequency teams
Some teams use Burnup Charts instead, which plot cumulative work completed and total scope, useful when tracking upward progress is clearer than downward reduction.
Limitations
Burndown visualizes remaining effort but doesn’t explain why work is ahead or behind. It doesn’t capture scope changes, partial completions, or backlog quality.
It also depends on consistent ticket grooming and status updates. Outdated or unupdated tickets will produce misleading burndown trajectories.
To improve interpretation, pair this metric with:
| Complementary Metric | Why It’s Relevant |
|---|---|
| Time Spent on Estimate Misses | Reveals whether inaccurate estimates are contributing to delays or poor burn pace |
| Sprint Scope Creep | Indicates whether work is being added mid-sprint, distorting the burndown curve |
| Sprint Rollover Rate | Reveals whether unfinished work is consistently carried over to future sprints |
Optimization
Improving a Burndown Chart as a useful delivery signal depends on clear scope, regular updates, and steady execution pace.
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Ensure work is fully defined and estimable. Incomplete or overly large tickets stall progress and delay visible burndown
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Update task status daily. Make sure burndown reflects reality by moving items through the workflow consistently
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Avoid hiding incomplete work. Don’t delete or replace tasks to force a clean burndown. Flag and discuss blockers instead
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Identify stagnation early. If burndown is flat for several days, review blockers or reprioritize work during standup
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Use burndown for conversation, not evaluation. The goal isn’t a perfectly straight line it’s transparency into how the team is progressing and why
A Burndown Chart isn’t a scoreboard, it’s a mirror. When used correctly, it helps teams detect friction early and finish sprints strong.
