Sprint Burnup chart

Owned by Couthaïer Farfra
Dec 18, 2024
6 min read

This graph can only be viewed for Projects or Jira Boards with Sprints.

The Sprint Burnup Chart is a graph that allows you to follow the progress of tickets in a Sprint by visualizing several curves representing both the evolution of the work to be done and that already completed. It provides a clear view of the team's progress against the commitments made at the start of the Sprint and helps assess whether the team is on track to achieve its goals.

The Burnup Chart in Wiveez includes three main curves:

  1. The Sprint Backlog tracking curve: It shows the evolution of the Sprint Backlog (the total amount of work planned in the Sprint) over time. This curve reflects changes to the Sprint Backlog, such as the addition or removal of tickets during the Sprint.

  2. The ideal curve tracking curve: This is the curve which represents the ideal progress of the Sprint. It starts at the start of the Sprint and goes linearly down to zero at the end of the Sprint, assuming no changes to the Sprint Backlog. However, in Wiveez, this ideal curve is recalculated each time the Backlog changes, to reflect the impact of ticket additions or deletions on the team's goals.

  3. The achievement monitoring curve: This curve represents the work actually carried out by the team. It increases gradually as the team completes tickets and shows the progress made throughout the Sprint.

Operation and Usefulness

The Sprint Burnup Chart is essential for:

  1. Track Sprint progress: It visually shows whether the team is progressing quickly enough to achieve the goals set at the start of the Sprint. By following the curve of work carried out in relation to the ideal curve, the team can assess whether it is behind or ahead.

  2. Measure the impact of Sprint Backlog changes: The Sprint Backlog curve reflects any changes made to the amount of work planned in the Sprint (addition or deletion of tickets). Each change in the Backlog automatically recalibrates the ideal curve, providing an up-to-date view of the team's ability to meet its commitments.

  3. Anticipate risks: If the work completed curve is regularly below the ideal curve, this signals that the team may not achieve its objectives on time. This helps anticipate risks and take steps to improve workflow or adjust priorities.

How to read this graph?

The Sprint Burnup Chart consists of three curves superimposed on the same graph, representing different aspects of the progress of the Sprint.

  1. Horizontal axis (x): This axis represents the time or days of the Sprint, from the first day until the end of the Sprint. It shows the evolution of the different curves day after day.

  2. Vertical axis (y): This axis represents the volume of work, generally measured in story points or number of tickets. It indicates how much work remains to be done or has been completed.

  3. Sprint Backlog tracking curve:

    • This curve shows the evolution of the total quantity of work planned in the Sprint. If tickets are added, the curve goes up, while if tickets are removed, it goes down. This allows you to see changes in the Sprint Backlog over time and their impact on the Sprint.

  4. Curve following the ideal curve:

    • The ideal curve shows how work should theoretically be accomplished in a linear fashion from the start to the end of the Sprint, if the Sprint Backlog remains unchanged. But in Wiveez, this curve is recalculated each time tickets are added or removed from the Sprint. This allows you to readjust expectations and see if the team can still achieve its goals despite the changes.

  5. Realization monitoring curve:

    • This curve shows the work actually done by the team. It rises as the team completes tickets. Ideally, this curve follows or exceeds the recalculated ideal curve, indicating that the team is on track to complete the Sprint.

Patterns to observe:

  1. Curve produced close to or above the ideal curve:

    • If the work completed curve is close to the ideal curve, this means that the team is progressing steadily and is on track to complete the Sprint on time. If the actual curve exceeds the ideal curve, this indicates that the team is ahead of schedule.

  2. Curve produced below the ideal curve:

    • If the work completed curve is significantly below the ideal curve, this means that the team is behind schedule and that there is a risk of not achieving the objectives on time. In this case, it may be necessary to adjust priorities or increase the speed of work.

  3. Impact of Sprint Backlog changes:

    • When changes are made to the Sprint Backlog, the Backlog curve moves up or down based on the addition or removal of tickets. As a result, the ideal curve is recalculated to reflect the new expectations. If tickets are added, the ideal curve will adjust to show that the team needs to do more work, while removing tickets makes the ideal curve easier to achieve.

  4. Analysis of Backlog adjustments:

    • Every time the Backlog is changed, it has a direct impact on the team's expectations. For example, if many tickets are added to the Sprint, the ideal curve rises, which can make achieving goals more difficult. By monitoring the relationship between these curves, users can see how each Backlog adjustment affects the team's ability to meet its commitments.

Example:

Let's imagine that you use the Sprint Burnup Chart in Wiveez to track a Sprint:

  • Ideal curve recalculated after adding tickets: Suppose that, in the middle of the Sprint, several additional tickets are added to the Sprint Backlog. The Backlog curve rises to reflect this addition, and the ideal curve is automatically recalculated to adjust the team's new expectations. If the work completed curve remains below the new ideal curve, this may indicate that the team risks not finishing the Sprint on time due to the new additions.

  • Curve produced in advance of the ideal curve: If, despite the additions to the Sprint Backlog, the curve of the work carried out exceeds or closely follows the recalculated ideal curve, this means that the team is managing the increase in workload well and is on track to complete on time.

  • Late completed curve: If the work completed curve remains significantly below the ideal curve even after adjustment, this indicates that the team is behind schedule and that corrective actions may be needed, such as reducing scope or improving work rate.

Usefulness in Wiveez

The Sprint Burnup Chart in Wiveez allows agile teams to:

  • Track the progress of tickets and see if the Sprint is progressing as planned.

  • Evaluate the impact of changes to the Sprint Backlog on the team's ability to meet its commitments. The recalculated ideal curve helps adjust expectations and see if the team is still on track after Backlog adjustments.

  • Anticipate risks by identifying delays in the work completed curve and comparing this curve with the recalculated ideal curve.

Chart

Filters

Detailed ticket analysis

Wiveez allows the user to analyze in detail the performance of each ticket in the Sprint by displaying the list of tickets associated with a point and displaying the details of the Flow Metrics of a ticket.