1. What is Burn Rate in Agile?

Burn Rate in Agile project management measures the rate at which a team completes story points during a sprint. It helps teams track velocity and predict future sprint performance, enabling better planning and resource allocation.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the burn rate formula:

Where:

• \( Story\ Points \) — Total story points completed in the sprint
• \( Sprint\ Days \) — Number of working days in the sprint
• \( Burn\ Rate \) — Story points completed per day (points/day)

Explanation: This calculation provides a daily velocity metric that helps teams understand their consistent work pace throughout the sprint.

3. Importance of Burn Rate Calculation

Details: Tracking burn rate helps agile teams identify performance trends, forecast completion dates, adjust sprint commitments, and improve estimation accuracy for future sprints.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the total story points completed during the sprint and the number of working days in the sprint. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a good burn rate?
A: A good burn rate is consistent and predictable. It varies by team, but consistency is more important than the absolute number. Teams should aim for a stable burn rate across sprints.

Q2: How does burn rate differ from velocity?
A: Velocity measures total story points per sprint, while burn rate measures the daily rate of completion. Burn rate provides finer granularity for tracking progress.

Q3: Should burn rate be constant throughout a sprint?
A: Ideally, yes. A consistent daily burn rate indicates stable productivity. Significant variations may signal blockers, estimation issues, or scope changes.

Q4: How can teams improve their burn rate?
A: Teams can improve burn rate by refining estimation techniques, removing impediments, improving collaboration, and maintaining sustainable pace.

Q5: Can burn rate predict sprint completion?
A: Yes, by multiplying the current burn rate by remaining sprint days, teams can forecast whether they'll complete committed work or need to adjust scope.