In an Agile project, a burndown chart is a picture that shows how far along a team’s work is. It shows the leftover work (in this case, story points) over time. This lets the team see how they’re doing and predict if they’ll reach their goals in the time they’ve set. Here’s how to make a burndown chart for the story points that are left:
1. Figure out the period: Figure out the period for your burndown chart. This is usually the same as how long your iteration or sprint is. It can be measured in days, weeks, or any other unit of time that works for your job.
2. Figure out what the initial scope is: Find out how many story points the team has promised to deliver at the start of the iteration or sprint. This is the first plan for the work.
3. Draw the baseline. Put the remaining story points on the vertical side of your chart. Draw the time frame on the horizontal line, dividing it into equal parts based on the unit of time you’ve chosen.
4. Change the chart every day. Keep track of how the team’s work is coming along. To find the remaining story points, take the original scope and subtract the story points that have already been done. Put these numbers on the chart and connect them so you can see the trend.
5. Keep track of the ideal burndown. Along with the real story points that are left, you can also draw a line for the ideal burndown. This line shows how far along the team would be if they worked on the same number of story points every day. It starts with the starting scope and goes downhill until there are no more story points to tell.
6. Keep an eye on the deviation by comparing the real burndown line to the ideal one. If the real line is always lower than the ideal line, it means the team is behind schedule. If it stays above the ideal line, it means the team is ahead of plan. This comparison helps the team find differences and make changes to their work.
7. Change the estimate. Based on the trend shown by the burndown chart, you can predict whether the team will finish all the remaining story points within the planned timeframe. This gives the team the information it needs to make good choices, like reordering tasks or taking corrective steps if needed.
Remember that the burndown chart shows the team’s progress visually and should be updated often. It is a useful tool for keeping track of the team’s progress, spotting possible problems, and making it easier for team members and stakeholders to talk to each other.
