If you’re not using burndown charts for project management, you might want to consider adding them to your repertoire.
Visual tools are great for managing projects, as they can quickly and easily communicate status and timelines to the project team.
They can also be very useful when presenting updates to stakeholders, particularly those at the C-level.
Let’s take a look at what a burndown chart is and how you can create one.
What is a Burndown Chart?
A burndown chart is a graphical representation of the work that has been done vs. the work that remains to be completed in a project.
It is used in agile development and project management as a tool to track the progress of the project and determine whether it is on schedule. Scrum Masters and Scrum Teams employ burndown charts frequently in agile projects and particularly in software development.
The burndown chart shows how much work remains at any given point in time, and can help identify potential problems early on so that they can be addressed quickly.
This completed vs. remaining representation can also help tremendously if you need to generate an updated timeline estimate for finishing the current sprint or the project as a whole.
How to Create a Burndown Chart
To create a burndown chart, you will need to first determine the total amount of work that needs to be completed in the project.
This can be done by estimating the number of hours or days required for each task.
Once you have this information, you can create a graphical representation of it using a software program like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. The image at the top of this article is of a burndown chart created in Jira.
Elements of a Burndown Chart
There are four key elements of a burndown chart:
- 1. X-axis
- 2. Y-axis
- 3. Ideal timeline
- 4. Actual timeline
The X-axis is the chart’s horizontal axis, and it typically signifies the time in a given sprint or project.
The Y-axis is the vertical axis of the chart, and it is used to denote the work that must be done within the sprint or project.
The ideal timeline is essentially the guide that connects the start to the finish, encompassing all the work that must be done within that time. This line is the baseline to indicate where the project team should be at any given point along the way.
The actual timeline is the line that shows where the project actually is at the current moment. This line will generally fluctuate above and below the ideal timeline as the project progresses. Comparing this line to the ideal one can tell the project team at a quick glance whether they are on track or need to make adjustments.
Integrating Burndown Charts with Other Project Management Tools
Burndown charts are powerful on their own, but they really shine when used alongside other project management tools.
Let’s explore some ways you can layer burndown data into your broader toolkit for a more complete view of project health.
Pair Burndown Charts with Burnup Charts
While a burndown chart shows work remaining over time, a burnup chart highlights work completed.
When used together, they give two sides of the same story — ideal for teams managing shifting scopes.
If your backlog is growing mid-sprint due to scope creep or unexpected feature additions, a burnup chart will show that increase clearly, while your burndown chart reflects how the workload expands.
This dual view is especially useful for agile teams managing unpredictable workloads across sprints.
Combine with Kanban Boards for Day-to-Day Visibility
Burndown charts are great for monitoring progress over a sprint, but they don’t show what’s left to do; only how much remains.
That’s where Kanban boards come in.
A visual board gives your team task-level insight: who’s working on what, what’s blocked, and what’s done.
Used together, the Kanban board tells you what is happening, while the burndown chart tells you how the overall effort is trending.
Use During Retrospectives to Improve Future Sprints
At the end of each sprint, burndown charts can play a key role in your retrospective. Did the team consistently over- or underestimate task complexity? Were there sudden drops that suggest last-minute rushes?
Looking back at your burndown data allows your team to refine estimation practices, adjust velocity forecasts, and prevent common planning errors going forward.
The more you use it, the more valuable your burndown chart becomes as a learning tool—not just a tracking one.
Utilizing Burndown Charts in Project Management
Here are some real-world scenarios where project managers might use burndown charts to stay on top of deadlines, identify blockers, and keep stakeholders aligned.
Website Redesign Sprint: Spotting Bottlenecks Early
A digital agency takes on a full website redesign with a four-week delivery window. The project is broken into two-week sprints, with tasks like UX wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, frontend development, and QA all mapped out using story points and hourly estimates.
Halfway through the sprint, the team’s burndown chart shows a clear divergence from the ideal trend line.
Progress has stalled.
A quick check reveals that the QA team is sitting idle, waiting for assets that are delayed in the design stage.
Because the burndown chart made the delay visible in real time, the project manager acts quickly: reassigning a developer to support the design team, reshuffling QA’s workload, and pulling lower-priority tasks out of the sprint. Within a few days, the burndown curve begins to realign with the ideal path.
Takeaway: The chart didn’t just show progress; it enabled fast decision-making that saved the sprint from slipping.
Cross‑Team Product Launch: Managing Complexity at a Glance
A product manager is overseeing a new product launch involving multiple departments: engineering, marketing, legal, and sales.
While each team manages its own tasks in a project board, the PM builds a shared burndown chart that aggregates the top-level deliverables into a unified visual.
A week before launch, the burndown chart starts to flatten. The burn rate is off.
A deeper look reveals that legal’s approval of marketing collateral has been delayed, but this hadn’t surfaced in any of the status reports yet.
Armed with that insight, the PM holds a cross-functional sync, resets expectations on timing, and rearranges launch deliverables to maintain momentum.
Takeaway: A burndown chart is especially useful when you’re orchestrating across teams. It flags trouble areas early—before they become delays.
Conclusion: Using Burndown Charts in Project Management
The burndown chart is a valuable tool for project managers and agile development teams, as it provides a clear picture of the work remaining to be done and can help identify potential problems early on.
By using a burndown chart, you can ensure that your project stays on track and avoid any costly delays.