Burn Down Chart Symptomatics

1. Burn Down Chart
Symptomatics
• May 2015
• Dmytro Bibikov
Thinking Session

2. BDC
When
Where
What
Why

3. 3
Where – Scrum Framework SDLC

4. 4
When – Iteration / Release

5. 5
Why – Keep Constraints on Track
Iron
Triangle

6. Interpreting

7. 7
What:

8. • Make the reality of the project clear.
• Show the impact of decisions.
• Warn you early if things aren't going according to plan.
• Get rid of all the wishful thinking around dates.
8
Why interpret BDC?!

9. • Remaining effort for a given period of time.
9
Simplicity vs Information
Must contain:
• X axis – remaining time
• Y axis – remaining effort
• Ideal effort as a guideline
• Real progress of effort

10. 10
How Simple and Transperant

11. • Story Points
11
Measures of Effort
• Items / Tasks
• Hours / Ideal Days

12. Symptomatics

13. 13
No Comments… or ‘Simple Case’

14. Hey team, this is even
worse. Maybe you
completed something but
completed work is not
visible as a progress!
• See Oh, management is
coming! chart
• Sprint might be still in
progress
14
Do Your Duties!!!
What to improve?
Restart. From scratch,
from training. Do
retrospective to
figure out why this is
happening.

15. • Stories/tasks are added
into backlog constantly.
• More work is added than
completed.
• Tasks are re-estimated
constantly.
• you will never be able to
complete the sprint if you
will not fix it.
15
First Sprint in life – Up to the Sky 
What to improve?
Estimate stories/tasks
immediately and update
your backlog.
Do not forget to start
sprint if you use electronic
tool.

16. 16
Bump on the Road
Burn up first, then burn down.
• Stories not estimated at the beginning of sprint
• Stories added till mid of the sprint.
• Appropriate recognition of incorrect situation in the
mid of the sprint. Positive, but late.
What to improve?
• Restart your sprint by planning.

17. Hey team, you are not doing what is necessary!
Where are you going to? How do you know
whether you are able to finish the sprint on time?
• Maybe team is doing a work, but there is
someone adding an amount equal to completed
work.
• Team doesn’t update remaining time regularly.
• Send Scrum Master and team back to training
• Maybe stories were overestimated.
• Product owner doesn’t take care as well.
17
Management is coming!

18. What to improve?
• Stop the line after see line of 3 days as
row. Initiate retrospective immediately.
18

19. • Stories underestimated
• Low commitment of the
team
• Incorrect sprint capacity
calculation
• Stories not grabbed
from the next sprint
• Some team members
do not have tasks
assigned.
19
Too Early
What to improve?
After two or three days
Scrum Master should ask
if there is anything team
can do from the next
sprint. If yes then assign

20. 20
Too Late
“You did not completed
your commitment”. And
you were all the time late.
• Tasks not completed
• Adaptation not done
during the sprint
What to improve?
Check if size of the sprint
backlog is not growing. Stop
the production line as soon
as possible, before the
sprint. Remove low priority
stories from the sprint.

21. This burn down chart indicates
your team is fine to have a time
to rest.
• Team has finished work
earlier than expected, but
could do more.
• Maybe there are not enough
items in sprint backlog
• Maybe team is larger than
expected at the beginning
• Stories might be
overestimated
21
Let’s have a rest team
What to improve?
Get additional stories
as soon as possible
form the next sprint
according priorities.

22. This is typical burn down chart you
can see in many already experienced
team.
• Team committed to goal
• Adapted scope in case of need
• Team improving speed to get
things done
• Team is asking How we are going
to complete the sprint
• At the end they can grab
additional stories from the next
sprint
22
Nice Team
What to improve?
Stop before middle of the
sprint and discuss how to
get back on track.
Something with lower
priority should go out of
your sprint backlog.

23. This is typical burn down
chart you can see in many
already experienced team.
• A team committed to a
goal
• Adapted scope in case
of need
• Team improving speed
to get things done
23
Great Team
What to improve?
Grab additional stories
from the next sprint you
are able to complete in the
sprint.

24. Once you see such burn down
chart congratulate to the
team
• They are doing great job.
• Not over-committing
• Not late
• Not earlier
• On time
• Mastership
24
Ideal Team
What to improve?
Just continue!

25. • Scrum Team has Full Authority to admit
need for change, define approach, apply
solution… Knowledge is the key.
25
Conclusion and Inspiration

26. Thank you!

27. • http://www.methodsandtools.com/archive/scrumburndown.php
• http://www.scrumdesk.com/is-it-your-burn-down-chart/
• http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_54.htm
• http://www.ambysoft.com/essays/brokenTriangle.html
• https://www.mountaingoatsoftware.com/agile/scrum/release-
burndown
• http://www.agilenutshell.com/burndown
• http://www.clariostechnology.com/productivity/blog/burnupvsburnd
ownchart
• http://www.slideshare.net/MatthewWarton/burn-down-vs-burn-up-
charts
27
References