You are showing the project sponsor around your agile team area and they notice the burndown chart next to the Kanban board. They ask what it tells you. What should you say?
What A Burndown Chart Does Not Show
A burndown chart does not show return on investment for delivered features. It is not a measure of automated tests run as part of continuous integration. It does not track which team members are moving on and off the project.
What It Does Show
A burndown chart displays the remaining work versus what was planned for a given iteration or sprint. It is your planned versus actual performance for the sprint visualized on a single chart.
How to Read It
The vertical axis shows the amount of work remaining (usually in story points or tasks). The horizontal axis shows time progressing through the sprint. A line traces the actual work remaining as the sprint progresses. An ideal line shows where the work should be if everything is on track.
Why It Matters
The burndown chart gives the team and stakeholders a quick visual of whether the sprint is on track. If the actual line is tracking above the ideal line, the team is behind. If it is below, the team is ahead. This daily visibility helps the team make adjustments quickly.
The Conversation
Tell your sponsor that the burndown chart is a daily snapshot of sprint progress – planned versus actual. It shows whether the team will complete the committed work by the end of the sprint.
– David McLachlan
You can see what people are saying about David McLachlan here: REVIEWS
Navigate to Free Project Management and Leadership Articles through the links on the right (or at the bottom if on Mobile)
Also available are my Project Management Templates – they’re a great way to save 100s of hours when you’re first starting out:
 50+ Project Management Templates in Excel and PowerPoint (Excel Gantt Chart, Risk Matrix, RACI, Stakeholder Matrix and more!) |
 Pre-made Project Management Plan Templates: Save 100 HOURS! |