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Using Burndown Charts for Sprint Tracking
Burndown charts reveal whether your sprint is on track for completion. A glance at the chart tells you if work is being completed at a sustainable pace or if intervention is needed. Understanding how to read and act on burndown patterns transforms this simple visualization into a powerful management tool.
Burndown Fundamentals
What Burndown Charts Show
BURNDOWN ANATOMY:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ UNDERSTANDING THE CHART │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ CHART ELEMENTS: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ ││
│ │ Points │ ││
│ │ 50 │ ○ ← Starting commitment (total work) ││
│ │ │ ○ ││
│ │ 40 │ ○ Ideal line (steady progress) ││
│ │ │ ○---○---○---○---○---○ ││
│ │ 30 │ ● ││
│ │ │ ● ││
│ │ 20 │ ● ← Actual progress ││
│ │ │ ● ││
│ │ 10 │ ● ││
│ │ │ ● ││
│ │ 0 └───────────────────────────────────────────── ││
│ │ Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Legend: ││
│ │ --- Ideal burndown (where we should be) ││
│ │ ● Actual burndown (where we are) ││
│ │ ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ WHAT THE Y-AXIS REPRESENTS: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Option 1: Story points remaining ││
│ │ → Best for capacity planning ││
│ │ → Reflects estimated effort ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Option 2: Task count remaining ││
│ │ → Simpler to track ││
│ │ → Good when tasks are similar size ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Option 3: Hours remaining ││
│ │ → Most granular ││
│ │ → Requires time tracking discipline ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Burndown Patterns
What Different Shapes Mean
PATTERN RECOGNITION:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ INTERPRETING BURNDOWN SHAPES │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ HEALTHY BURNDOWN: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ 50 │○ ││
│ │ │ ○● ││
│ │ 40 │ ○● ← Actual tracks ideal closely ││
│ │ │ ○● ││
│ │ 20 │ ○● ││
│ │ │ ○● ││
│ │ 0 └────────────── ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Meaning: Work completed at sustainable pace ││
│ │ Action: Continue current approach ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ FLAT LINE (NO PROGRESS): │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ 50 │○●───●───●───● ││
│ │ │ ○ ││
│ │ 40 │ ○ ← Actual stays flat ││
│ │ │ ○ ││
│ │ 20 │ ○ ││
│ │ │ ○ ││
│ │ 0 └────────────── ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Causes: ││
│ │ • Team blocked on dependencies ││
│ │ • Work in progress but nothing finishing ││
│ │ • Tasks too large to complete ││
│ │ Action: Investigate blockers immediately ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ LATE START (DELAYED PROGRESS): │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ 50 │○●───● ││
│ │ │ ○ ● ││
│ │ 40 │ ○ ● ← Slow start, then catches up ││
│ │ │ ○ ● ││
│ │ 20 │ ○ ● ││
│ │ │ ○ ● ││
│ │ 0 └────────────── ● ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Causes: ││
│ │ • Sprint planning took too long ││
│ │ • Dependencies resolved mid-sprint ││
│ │ • Team ramping up on new technology ││
│ │ Action: Start work earlier next sprint ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ SCOPE CREEP (LINE GOES UP): │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ 60 │ ● ││
│ │ 50 │○● ● ← Work added mid-sprint ││
│ │ │ ○ ││
│ │ 40 │ ○ ● ││
│ │ │ ○ ● ││
│ │ 20 │ ○ ● ││
│ │ │ ○ ││
│ │ 0 └────────────── ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Causes: ││
│ │ • New tasks added after sprint started ││
│ │ • Discovered work not in original estimate ││
│ │ • Stakeholder requests mid-sprint ││
│ │ Action: Protect sprint scope, add to backlog ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ CLIFF (ALL AT END): │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ 50 │○●───●───●───● ││
│ │ │ ○ │ ││
│ │ 40 │ ○ │ ││
│ │ │ ○ │ ││
│ │ 20 │ ○ │ ← Everything closes last day ││
│ │ │ ○ │ ││
│ │ 0 └─────────────● ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Causes: ││
│ │ • Tasks not closed when done ││
│ │ • All testing at sprint end ││
│ │ • Definition of done not applied continuously ││
│ │ Action: Complete tasks fully before moving on ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Reading GitScrum Burndown
Using Sprint Analytics
GITSCRUM BURNDOWN:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NAVIGATING SPRINT ANALYTICS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ ACCESSING BURNDOWN: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Project → Sprint → Analytics tab ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Available views: ││
│ │ • Burndown by points ││
│ │ • Burndown by task count ││
│ │ • Velocity comparison (current vs average) ││
│ │ • Team member contribution ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ DATA POINTS TRACKED: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Daily snapshot includes: ││
│ │ • Total points/tasks remaining ││
│ │ • Points/tasks completed today ││
│ │ • Points/tasks added today (scope changes) ││
│ │ • Projected completion date ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Hover over any point to see: ││
│ │ • Exact remaining work ││
│ │ • What changed that day ││
│ │ • Which tasks completed/added ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ INTERPRETING PROJECTIONS: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ GitScrum calculates: ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Current velocity: Points completed ÷ days elapsed ││
│ │ Projected finish: Remaining ÷ current velocity ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Example: ││
│ │ Day 5 of 10: 25 points done, 25 remaining ││
│ │ Velocity: 5 points/day ││
│ │ Projected: 5 more days = finish on day 10 ✓ ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Warning indicators: ││
│ │ 🟢 On track: Projection within sprint ││
│ │ 🟡 At risk: Projection 1-2 days late ││
│ │ 🔴 Off track: Projection 3+ days late ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Acting on Burndown Data
Making Mid-Sprint Corrections
INTERVENTION STRATEGIES:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RESPONDING TO BURNDOWN PROBLEMS │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ FALLING BEHIND SCHEDULE: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Day 5 check: 15 points done, should be 25 ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Immediate actions: ││
│ │ 1. Identify blockers in daily standup ││
│ │ 2. Remove low-priority items from sprint ││
│ │ 3. Break large tasks into smaller deliverables ││
│ │ 4. Add help for overloaded team members ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Communication: ││
│ │ • Update stakeholders on adjusted expectations ││
│ │ • Be transparent about what will/won't ship ││
│ │ • Focus on sprint goal, not all tasks ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ SCOPE INCREASING: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Burndown shows work added mid-sprint ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Immediate actions: ││
│ │ 1. Stop adding work to current sprint ││
│ │ 2. New requests go to backlog only ││
│ │ 3. If critical, swap out equal-sized item ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Prevention: ││
│ │ • Clear sprint commitment at planning ││
│ │ • Stakeholder education on sprint boundaries ││
│ │ • Emergency-only additions with trade-offs ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ WORK NOT CLOSING: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Flat burndown despite work being done ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Root causes to investigate: ││
│ │ • Are tasks too large? Split them ││
│ │ • Is testing bottleneck? Add QA capacity ││
│ │ • Are reviews delayed? Set review SLA ││
│ │ • Not updating board? Daily standup reminder ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Process fix: ││
│ │ • Definition of Done checklist on each task ││
│ │ • Move to Done only when truly complete ││
│ │ • Daily board hygiene review ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Burndown Best Practices
Making Charts Useful
EFFECTIVE PRACTICES:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MAXIMIZING BURNDOWN VALUE │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ DAILY REVIEW: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Morning check (2 minutes): ││
│ │ • Glance at burndown before standup ││
│ │ • Note any concerning patterns ││
│ │ • Prepare questions for team ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Standup integration: ││
│ │ • Share screen with burndown visible ││
│ │ • "We're 10% behind ideal—what's blocking?" ││
│ │ • Focus discussion on completing, not starting ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ ACCURATE DATA: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Burndown is only useful with accurate data: ││
│ │ ││
│ │ ✅ Update task status when work actually changes ││
│ │ ✅ Estimate all tasks before sprint starts ││
│ │ ✅ Re-estimate if scope changes significantly ││
│ │ ✅ Close tasks same day they're completed ││
│ │ ││
│ │ ❌ Batch updates at end of day/week ││
│ │ ❌ Leave tasks "in progress" when blocked ││
│ │ ❌ Add unestimated work to sprint ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
│ SPRINT RETROSPECTIVE USE: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Review burndown in retrospective: ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Questions to ask: ││
│ │ • Where did actual diverge from ideal? ││
│ │ • What caused the divergence? ││
│ │ • How can we prevent it next sprint? ││
│ │ ││
│ │ Track patterns over multiple sprints: ││
│ │ • Do we always start slow? ││
│ │ • Do we always add scope? ││
│ │ • Does the same phase always bottleneck? ││
│ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘│
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘