A burndown chart tracks the amount of work done on a project over time and the expected work needed to complete it by the deadline. It can be created with software or a generic graphing program and is useful for project planning, management, and reporting. The chart shows progress and can help pinpoint problems for future improvement. It can be used for a variety of business projects and even by writers to track word goals. The chart is also useful for analyzing a project after completion.
A burndown chart is a graphical reference of the amount of work done on a project over a given period of time and the expected amount of work required to complete the project by the deadline. Some software programs have a module for creating such graphs, while in other cases, a generic graphing program can be used. A project manager may find such charts useful for project planning and management. They are also useful in project reporting for the rapid transmission of information on progress and anticipated needs.
One axis of the burndown graph tracks time, while the other looks at work. At the beginning of a project, the project manager can sit down to create goals to be achieved within certain time periods, generating a planned line on the burn down graph. Such a line allows project participants to see how much work they would have had to complete at various points. Often, the project manager uploads work to make room for problems that may develop later in the project so participants have enough time to address them.
As the work progresses, a true line can be drawn on the burndown graph. This may follow the projected line closely or may dive above or below it. When a project is ahead of schedule, the burndown chart will show this, as more work will be completed than expected. Lagging projects will also be easy to track, and it may be possible to use the graph to pinpoint where things started to go wrong, which can be helpful for getting back on track and preventing problems in the future.
The burndown chart provides an instant reference for the outstanding work left to be done and the amount of time to do it. It can be useful for a wide variety of business projects. Other professionals like writers can use similar tools; a novelist, for example, may have word goals to complete within a set amount of time and will use a chart in the planning stages to create clear goals to gauge progress as you work on the project.
Burnt charts can be useful references at the end of a project, during the phase where participants analyze the project to learn more about how it worked and develop suitable plans for the future. The graph may reveal a trap that was not anticipated or a problem that should have been anticipated and planned for.
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