How to read a burndown chart
The ideal line runs straight from the total at the start to zero at the end. A good burndown tracks close to that line. A flat stretch means nothing was finished; a late cliff means work was only closed at the end; a line that rises means work was added mid-sprint.
When a burnup chart is better
On a burndown, added scope and slow progress look the same: the line simply stops falling. A burnup separates them, with one line for completed work and one for total scope, which makes it the better chart for spotting scope creep.
- Use a burndown for a fixed sprint, where the question is whether the team will finish.
- Use a burnup for a release or a client project, where scope is likely to change.
In Worksynk
An active sprint in Worksynk has a board and a burndown, and velocity is derived from status categories rather than status names. If a sprint is about to end with a large share of its points still open, that also lowers the project's delivery confidence score.