A Burnup Chart is a graphical representation of the work completed toward a milestone over time. It is commonly used in Agile and Scrum methodologies to track progress, ensuring teams stay aligned with project goals.
Key Aspects of a Burnup Chart
- Tracks Work Completion – Shows how much work has been finished over time.
- Helps Identify Trends – Reveals whether the team is on pace to meet the milestone.
- Includes Scope Changes – Unlike burndown charts, burnup charts can reflect changes in total work.
- Used in Agile & Scrum – Helps teams visualize project progress at a glance.
Components of a Burnup Chart
- X-Axis (Time) – Represents days, sprints, or iterations.
- Y-Axis (Work Completed) – Measures completed story points, tasks, or effort.
- Work Completed Line – Shows the actual progress toward the goal.
- Total Work Line – Displays the total scope, which can change over time.
Example Scenarios
Software Development
A Scrum team working in a two-week sprint uses a Burnup Chart to visualize completed user stories, ensuring they reach the sprint goal.
Construction Project
A construction team tracks completed phases of a building project to compare against the planned schedule.
Marketing Campaign
A marketing team uses a Burnup Chart to monitor completed campaign assets (videos, social media posts, blogs) against the total planned deliverables.
Why Burnup Charts Matter
- Improves Visibility – Clearly shows how much work has been completed.
- Accounts for Scope Changes – Unlike burndown charts, burnup charts adjust for added work.
- Enhances Predictability – Helps teams assess if they will meet their milestone on time.
- Supports Agile Decision-Making – Enables teams to adjust based on real progress data.
See also: Burndown Chart, Sprint Backlog, Velocity, Agile.