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Glossary
Agile & Scrum

What is Burnup Chart?

A Burnup Chart is a visual representation of a project's progress that tracks the total amount of work completed against the total amount of work planned. It uses two distinct lines—one for the total project scope and one for completed work—to show how much has been accomplished over time. This makes it easy for teams to see if they are on track and whether the project's requirements are growing.

When to use it

Teams should use a Burnup Chart when they need to visualize progress against a target that might change, such as in software development where new requirements are often added mid-project. It is particularly effective for communicating with stakeholders because it clearly separates a team's actual productivity from the impact of scope creep. Use it during sprints or long-term initiatives to identify if a missed deadline is due to slow velocity or an increase in work.

Example

A SaaS team is building a data export tool with an initial backlog of 100 story points for the quarter. By the end of month two, the team has completed 60 story points, but the total scope has increased to 130 points due to new security requirements. The Burnup Chart shows the 'Completed Work' line rising steadily while the 'Total Scope' line also moves upward. This allows the product manager to demonstrate that the team is performing well, but the original deadline is at risk because the total work increased by 30%.

How Planet Roadmap helps with Burnup Chart

Planet Roadmap provides a dedicated sprint board view that automatically aggregates your backlog data to generate real-time burnup visualizations, helping you track completion against total scope.

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FAQ

How is a Burnup Chart different from a Burndown Chart?
A Burndown Chart only shows the work remaining, which can hide the fact that new work was added to the project. A Burnup Chart tracks both completed work and total scope as two separate lines, making it immediately obvious when scope creep is occurring.
What does it mean if the lines on a Burnup Chart never meet?
If the 'Completed Work' line is not projected to meet the 'Total Scope' line by the deadline, it indicates that the project will not be finished on time. This signal allows teams to either adjust the deadline, increase resources, or reduce the total scope before it becomes a last-minute crisis.

Related terms

Burndown ChartSprintVelocityProduct BacklogStory PointsScrumEpicMilestone

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