Burndown Chart Template

The burndown chart serves as a rapid and efficient alternative to traditional project management tools such as the Kanban board or Gantt Chart. Unlike these methods, the burndown chart allows the team to shift their focus from the detailed breakdown of individual tasks to the remaining time available to complete them.

By providing a visual representation of the project's progress, the burndown chart promotes transparency within the team. It enables team members to easily track and assess the amount of work completed on a daily basis, fostering a collective understanding of the project's status.

Furthermore, the burndown chart aids individual team members in recognizing their own pace of work. Regularly monitoring the chart, preferably on a daily basis, allows individuals to gauge their productivity levels and make necessary adjustments to meet project requirements effectively. This self-awareness enhances the team's ability to adapt and optimize their output to ensure timely task completion.

Creating your own burndown chart is a straightforward process. FigJam's whiteboard tool provides an ideal platform for building and sharing your chart. Follow these steps to create your personalized burndown chart:

1. Start by selecting the Burndown Chart Template in FigJam's whiteboard tool.
2. Set a target for the ideal number of story points required for completion. This target should remain constant throughout your team's sprint. By default, the template assumes a 2.5-week sprint, but you can adjust the X-axis to accommodate different sprint durations.
3. Monitor and update the "completed" and "remaining" numbers on a daily basis. These values represent the progress made and the work remaining.
4. Edit the "ideal" completion rate line to establish your target. The grey dotted line serves as a visual baseline for tracking your project's progress.
5. Update the "completed" storyline by adding sticky notes to reflect your team's daily completion of story points. Extend the solid line representing the actual completion rate accordingly. Consider non-working days, such as weekends or public holidays, when progress may slow down.
6. Regularly communicate with your team to set expectations, identify potential risks, and ensure the project stays on track. Keeping a record of progress allows the team to push back on unreasonable requests together.
7. Use the burndown chart as a reference when planning future sprints. It helps visualize the impact of new stakeholder requests over time and provides insights into the team's capacity for a given sprint period. If you notice a productivity surge toward the end of the sprint, consider breaking tasks into smaller, more manageable units for the next sprint.