Scrum Burn-Down Chart

Standard Time includes a unique Scrum burn down chart.  What's that, you may ask?  Burn down?  What's burning?

A burn down chart shows the progress of a project.  In it, you can see the remaining hours burning down to zero.  In other words, your project goes from hundreds of hours to zero over a period of time.  The progress is called "burning hours" or "burning down."  Want a personal demo of this feature?  Click here.

The screenshot below shows what it looks like.  You first choose a project (and optionally a phase or subsystem).  Then you choose a date range to show.  Normally, the date range will include the entire project up to the present.  A line chart is drawn, showing the remaining hours in the project - for every time period.  Normally, the lines go downward.

Actually, the line chart can go up and down.  It represents the true remaining hours for the selected project.  Normally, it burns down to zero, but if a scope change occurs, it goes up!  The screenshot below shows such scope changes.

What's the benefit to you?  Bur down charts help you see trends.  If the lines are headed down, you know there's an end to your pain.  If they are headed up, you'd better round up the troops and find out why.  Such a chart can be very stimulating to your project management.

More on Scrum Development