This document provides visual examples of common graphs used to measure and track progress on agile projects, including: burn down charts to track completion of features/stories over time against team velocity; burn up charts to show percent of features complete; parking lot, backlog list, and issue tracking charts; and charts to measure completion velocity variation and track progress by theme.
1. Sample Agile Measurement Graphs
By Peter Baxter
This document provides a “quick” visual catalog of graphs used for managing agile projects. It is
intended to help managers and measurement professionals identify and select graphing and other
visualization techniques which are effective for them.
The graphs in this document include the following:
• SAMPLE AGILE MEASUREMENT GRAPHS
• PROJECT BURNDOWN CHART AND ITERATION BURN DOWN CHART
• BURN DOWN CHART WITH DESCRIPTIONS
• BURN UP CHART – FEATURE PERCENT COMPLETE
• PARKING LOT DIAGRAM
• BACKLOG LIST
• COMPLETION VELOCITY VARIATION
• CUMULATIVE ITERATION PROGRESS
• ISSUE LOG STATUS PER ITERATION
• PROCESS QUALITY INDEX (PQI) CHART
• PROJECT STATUS BY THEME
2. Project Burndown Chart and Iteration Burn Down Chart
A project burn-down chart (top left in the figure below) identifiers the iterations and total feature/story
points assigned to each and how many have been completed. An iteration burndown chart (bottom
right in the figure below) tracks progress at a more granular level using the team’s velocity to predict the
end date.
3. Burn Down Chart With Descriptions
A description of each element of an iteration burn down chart.
4. Burn Up Chart – Feature Percent Complete
The reverse of a burn down chart: a feature/story complete chart.
5. Parking Lot Diagram
Parking lot diagram shows features by technical/architecture area and uses colors and embedded bars
to show status. It allows a manager to see the variation in scope between large and small projects
quickly.
7. Completion Velocity Variation
The following SPC chart provides an indication for how much variation there is in the team’s
productivity. Higher variation raises the range of dates used to estimate the completion date.
8. Cumulative Iteration Progress
The iteration flow chart depicts the distribution of scenarios and feature points in the development
activities. It allows managers to spot bottlenecks and problem areas.
9. Issue Log Status Per Iteration
Issues are not technically defects until the iteration is complete, but the principle is the same. The Issue
log status is tracking how many issues are being reported and closed against the work products within
an iteration.
