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How to Read GitScrum Cumulative Flow Diagram?
How to read GitScrum Cumulative Flow diagram?
GitScrum's Cumulative Flow Diagram (CFD) shows task distribution across columns over time. Horizontal axis is time, vertical is task count. Each colored band represents a column. Widening bands indicate bottlenecks. Consistent band width shows healthy flow. CFDs help identify where work accumulates and flow problems exist [Source: Kanban metrics].
Reading the CFD:
- Access Reports - Navigate to GitScrum Reports
- Select Cumulative Flow - Choose CFD report
- Set date range - Select time period
- Read bottom to top - Done is at bottom
- Identify bands - Each color is a column
- Look for patterns - Widening/narrowing bands
CFD band interpretation
| Pattern | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Widening band | Bottleneck | Add capacity or reduce inflow |
| Narrowing band | Draining | May need more input |
| Consistent width | Healthy flow | Maintain current process |
| Sudden spike | Batch arrival | Avoid batch work |
| Flat top | No new work | Check backlog health |
Key CFD metrics
| Metric | How to Read |
|---|---|
| Lead time | Horizontal distance, task entry to done |
| WIP | Vertical height of active bands |
| Throughput | Slope of Done area |
| Bottleneck | Widest expanding band |
| Flow efficiency | Ratio of active to wait time |
CFD health indicators
| Indicator | Healthy | Unhealthy |
|---|---|---|
| Band width | Consistent | Widening |
| Done growth | Steady | Flat |
| Total WIP | Stable | Increasing |
| Wait columns | Thin | Wide |
| Flow | Smooth | Erratic |
Common CFD patterns
| Pattern | Description | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Bulging middle | Work stuck in progress | Lower WIP limits |
| Flat done | Nothing completing | Unblock bottleneck |
| Staircase | Batch delivery | Flow more continuously |
| Widening review | Slow reviews | Add reviewers |
| Growing backlog | Too much input | Prioritize ruthlessly |
Using CFD for improvement:
- Identify bottleneck - Find widening band
- Analyze root cause - Why is it widening?
- Take action - Add capacity or reduce input
- Monitor change - Watch band width
- Iterate - Continuous improvement
CFD vs other metrics
| Metric | Shows | CFD Shows |
|---|---|---|
| Velocity | Points per sprint | Flow over time |
| Burndown | Remaining work | Work distribution |
| Cycle time | Single task speed | System flow |
| Throughput | Completion rate | Everything together |
CFD time ranges
| Range | Use Case |
|---|---|
| 1 week | Daily flow patterns |
| 2 weeks | Sprint analysis |
| 1 month | Trend identification |
| 3 months | Process improvement |
Best practices
| Practice | Reason |
|---|---|
| Check weekly | Catch problems early |
| Compare periods | See improvement |
| Share with team | Collective ownership |
| Act on insights | Don't just observe |
| Combine with WIP limits | Prevention + detection |