HKSM

A daily-updated visual that shows sprint progress either by remaining work trending down (burndown) or completed work trending up against total scope (burnup). It reflects task updates, scope changes, and helps the team inspect progress and adapt plans within the sprint.

Key Points

• Maintained daily by the Scrum Team and made visible to everyone.
• Shows progress within the sprint using either remaining work (burndown) or completed work vs scope (burnup).
• Output of the Daily Standup and an input to Demonstrate and Validate Sprint and Retrospect Sprint.
• Uses consistent units such as story points or hours; do not mix units mid-sprint.
• Must reflect scope change immediately; burnup adds or moves the scope line, burndown shows a step up in remaining work.
• Used for forecasting, identifying impediments, and facilitating data-driven discussions.

Purpose

The chart promotes transparency of sprint progress for the team, Product Owner, and stakeholders. It supports empirical control by enabling inspection of trends and adaptation of plans during the sprint timebox.

It helps forecast likelihood of meeting the Sprint Goal, highlights emerging risks and impediments, and provides evidence for conversations about scope, quality, and capacity.

Key Terms & Clauses

• Burndown: Remaining work plotted downward across the sprint timeline.
• Burnup: Completed work plotted upward, with a separate scope line that can change when scope changes.
• Ideal trend line: A straight guide from start to finish used for quick comparison, not a commitment.
• Work remaining / Completed work: Measured in consistent units (story points or hours) taken from the task board or tracking tool.
• Scope line (burnup): A line indicating total committed scope; moves when scope is added or removed.
• Velocity: The team’s throughput per sprint that informs trend analysis and forecasts.

How to Develop/Evaluate

1. Select chart type based on need: burndown for remaining work focus, burnup for visibility of both completion and scope change.
2. Set axes: X-axis is sprint days; Y-axis is story points or hours. Keep the unit consistent throughout the sprint.
3. Initialize: For burndown, record total work and draw an optional ideal line to zero; for burnup, start completed at zero and draw a scope line at total work.
4. Update daily: Sum remaining (burndown) or completed (burnup) from tasks and user stories that meet the Definition of Done.
5. Reflect scope changes immediately: Adjust total work (burndown remaining increases/decreases; burnup scope line moves).
6. Evaluate trends: Compare against ideal line, check for flat or erratic sections, and forecast completion using recent trend or average velocity.

How to Use

In the Daily Standup, the team inspects the latest trend to discuss impediments, re-plan tasks, and align on the day’s work. The Scrum Master uses anomalies to trigger impediment removal and coaching on flow and slicing.

The Product Owner uses the chart to discuss scope trade-offs and stakeholder expectations. In Demonstrate and Validate Sprint and Retrospect Sprint, the chart informs discussions on outcomes, estimation accuracy, and process improvement.

Example Snippet

Ten-day sprint with 40 story points:

• Day 1: Burndown remaining = 40; Burnup completed = 0, scope line = 40.
• Day 3: Remaining = 32; Completed = 8.
• Day 5: Scope increases by 4 points. Burndown remaining jumps to 28 + 4 = 32; Burnup scope line moves from 40 to 44.
• Day 8: Remaining = 12; Completed = 32 of 44.
• Day 10: Remaining = 0 if all 44 done; otherwise visible gap shows unmet scope and informs review discussion.

Risks & Tips

• Risk: Treating the chart as a performance scorecard for individuals. Tip: Use it for team-level transparency and decision-making.
• Risk: Mixing hours and story points mid-sprint. Tip: Choose one unit per sprint and stick to it.
• Risk: Not reflecting scope changes, causing misleading trends. Tip: Update the scope line (burnup) or remaining work (burndown) the same day.
• Risk: Updating irregularly. Tip: Update at a consistent time daily, ideally just before the Daily Standup.
• Risk: Over-focusing on the ideal line. Tip: Discuss trends, blockers, and Done criteria rather than chasing a perfect slope.
• Risk: Counting partially done work. Tip: Only include items that meet the Definition of Done.

PMP/SCRUM Example Question

During a 2-week sprint, the team’s burndown has been flat for three days, and on day 4 the Product Owner added 5 points of urgent scope. What should the Scrum Master do to ensure the chart remains a useful input for inspection and adaptation?

1. Reassign tasks to the highest performers to speed up delivery.
2. Update the chart to reflect the added scope and facilitate a Daily Standup discussion to address impediments and re-plan.
3. Extend the sprint by two days to absorb the new work.
4. Stop using burndown and switch to burnup after the sprint ends.

Correct Answer: B — Update the chart to reflect the added scope and facilitate a Daily Standup discussion to address impediments and re-plan.

Explanation: The chart must be kept current and used to inspect and adapt during the sprint. Extending the timebox or reassigning based on performance undermines Scrum, and changing chart types later does not solve the immediate need.