Burn Up vs Burn Down Charts – Differences Explained
Benefits of burn up charts
Using burn up charts in your business strategy to monitor project progress and effectiveness has a number of advantages, including:
What is a burn up chart?
A burn up chart is a graph that demonstrates how a project is progressing over time. There could be two or three lines in burn up charts. Scope, anticipated progress, and actual progress are typically represented by the three lines. Burn up charts with just two lines typically show the project scope and work that has been completed. This kind of visual representation of a project’s life cycle from beginning to end is popular among businesses.
Tips for interpreting a burn up chart
If you use the following advice, interpreting burn up charts can be a straightforward process:
How to make a burn up chart
You can create your own burn up chart by following these three steps:
1. Set X-axis
Create the X-axis across the bottom of the chart. This axis displays sprints, or the project’s allotted time. For instance, if the project timeline is one week, the X-axis will have seven numbers, one for each day.
2. Set Y-axis
Next, create the Y-axis vertically across the chart. The number of story points, also known as the amount of work to be done on the project, is represented on this axis. You might, for example, label the first step to be completed as “10,” the second as “20,” and so on to represent each step in the project in increments of 10.
3. Determine colors of lines
Decide on a color for each line in the chart and what it stands for. For illustration, the project’s entire finished work could be represented by a green line. The amount of work that needs to be done before the project is finished may be depicted by a red line. Afterward, you can complete the chart as your project develops.
Burn up charts vs. burn down charts
Burn up charts and burn down charts differ in a few ways, including:
Tracking focus
The project elements they track are the main distinction between burn up charts and burn down charts. Burn up charts keep track of all work completed at various stages of the project and highlight each task throughout the project life cycle. Burn down charts, on the other hand, monitor the amount of work required to complete the project.
Number of lines
There are different numbers of lines on burn up charts and burn down charts. Up to three lines can be included in burn up charts to track various project components. Burn down charts only have two lines that show the actual amount of work still to be done and the anticipated amount of work needed to finish a project.
Burn up chart FAQ
Following are some frequently asked queries about burn up charts and their responses:
How can you decide if you should use a burn up chart vs. a burn down chart?
If you take into account your purpose for the chart, selecting a burn up chart rather than a burn down chart may be a straightforward process. You might think about using a burn down chart if your project has just one task and you want to monitor how close you are to reaching your project’s end goal. Use a burn up chart if you want to keep track of how much work you accomplish on a project over a specific period of time.
Can you use a burn down chart and a burn up chart at the same time?
If you want to track the development of your project in more than one way, you can use both a burn down chart and a burn up chart at the same time. Because they track various elements, using both charts can be especially helpful. Utilizing both a burn down chart and a burn up chart for various projects may also allow you to see how your working habits have changed over time.
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FAQ
What are burn down and burn up charts in Agile?
A graph that displays project progress over time is called a burn up chart. On the graph, there are two major lines: one tracks the total project work planned, and the other tracks the work completed thus far.
How do I make a burn up chart?
A burn down chart displays the amount of work that needs to be completed in the project, whereas a burn up chart displays the amount of work that has already been completed. Particularly in Agile and Scrum software project management, these charts are frequently used. a project’s burn down and burn up charts
