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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Velocity and burndown charts are common Scrum-related tracking and forecasting practices, but they are not Scrum’s formal artifacts. The Scrum Guide names three artifacts—the Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment—and their commitments are the Product Goal, Sprint Goal, and Definition of Done. Velocity is optional, and charts help teams inspect progress and make forecasts; neither is a promise of delivery or a measure of value.
What are Scrum’s formal artifacts?
The Scrum Guide defines three artifacts that make work and value transparent:
- Product Backlog: the evolving, ordered list of work for the product. Its commitment is the Product Goal.
- Sprint Backlog: the Developers’ plan for the Sprint: the Sprint Goal, selected Product Backlog items, and an actionable plan. Its commitment is the Sprint Goal. The plan is updated as the team learns.
- Increment: a usable step toward the Product Goal that meets the Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is its commitment.
The Guide identifies burndowns, burnups, and cumulative flow diagrams as practices teams can use to forecast progress. They are not additional formal artifacts, and the Guide does not require velocity, story points, or a specific charting method. See the Scrum Guide.
What is velocity in Scrum?
Velocity is an optional indication of how much Product Backlog work a Scrum Team turns into an Increment during a Sprint. Scrum.org describes it as an indication tracked by Developers for use within their own Scrum Team. It is not a required Scrum measure or a cross-team productivity score. See the Scrum.org glossary.
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How do you calculate velocity?
Scrum does not prescribe a universal calculation, unit, or estimation method. If a team chooses to track velocity, it can total the estimates for work that actually meets the Definition of Done and is included in the Increment for each Sprint. Teams may use different units or no points at all; the figure is meaningful only in the context of the team’s own work and approach. Do not count unfinished work as completed velocity.
Used carefully, a team’s past velocity can help it discuss how much work to forecast for a future Sprint. It does not establish how much work another team should deliver, nor does it indicate whether the delivered work produced a useful outcome.
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What do burndown and burnup charts show?
Both charts plot work over time, but they emphasize different things. The vertical axis represents work—perhaps backlog items, story points, or task hours—and the horizontal axis represents time.
| Chart | What the vertical axis shows | What it helps make visible |
|---|---|---|
| Burndown | Work thought to remain | A compact view of the estimated work left over time |
| Burnup | Work completed | Progress completed over time; a plotted scope target can also make changes in total scope visible |
A burndown can show whether the estimate of remaining work is falling, but by itself it offers limited explanation of what is happening. A burnup gives a separate view of completed work and, when scope is plotted, can help distinguish progress from changes in the amount of work included. Neither chart explains why a trend changed.
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How can a team use these measures to make a forecast?
Historical trends can inform a forecast, not guarantee an outcome. Scrum.org describes using historical throughput in Sprint Planning to forecast work the team believes it can deliver. The Sprint forecast, Sprint Goal, and actionable plan together shape the Sprint Backlog; this is not a mandated formula. See Scrum.org’s guidance on forecasting, release planning, and complexity.
- Look at relevant team history. Use the team’s own completed work or throughput as context, rather than treating another team’s numbers as a target.
- State the forecast as a forecast. Explain what the trend suggests and make uncertainty visible. A range is more candid than implying a precise date or amount is assured.
- Use the chart to prompt inspection. Discuss progress toward the Sprint Goal or Product Goal and what the team has learned, not just whether a line matches an ideal trajectory.
- Adapt the plan as needed. The Sprint Backlog is the Developers’ plan and changes as more is learned. A chart does not replace that ongoing planning.
Projections become less certain the farther into the future they extend. Scrum.org’s forecasting techniques guidance recommends treating trends as information for projection, while recognizing that charts show output rather than whether value is being delivered.
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What velocity and charts cannot tell you
- They do not make delivery certain. A velocity figure or chart trend supports a forecast; it does not turn the forecast into a commitment.
- They do not measure outcomes. Completing estimated work does not establish that users or the organization received value.
- Movement alone does not explain causes. Scope changes, discoveries, and other developments need conversation and context; a line cannot tell the story on its own.
- They should not replace the goal. A team can become overly focused on finishing its original forecast. Use progress information to inspect whether work supports the Sprint Goal or Product Goal and adapt accordingly.
The Scrum Guide’s commitments remain the Product Goal, Sprint Goal, and Definition of Done—not a velocity target or an ideal chart line. The Sprint Backlog is a plan to inspect and adapt, not a surveillance device or fixed promise.
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