Release Burndown Calculator

Track release burndown, scope creep and the projected completion date.

About Release Burndown Calculator

Projecting from observed velocity rather than planned velocity is what makes a burndown predictive. Tracking added scope separately shows whether a slipping date is a delivery problem or a scope problem. Scope creep and slow delivery need opposite responses, and a burndown that hides added scope makes them indistinguishable.

Formula

Release Burndown

Projected sprints = elapsed + remaining points ÷ observed velocity

scope creep: Work added after the release scope was agreed
observed velocity: Completed points divided by sprints elapsed

Worked example

With the default values below, Release Burndown Calculator returns Projected Total Sprints of 11.50. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Original scopeminimum 0: 300
Scope added since startminimum 0: 45
Points completedminimum 0: 180
Sprints elapsedminimum 0.1: 6
Sprints plannedminimum 0.1: 10

Results

Projected Total Sprints: 11.50
Points Remaining: 165
Scope Creep: 15.00%
Completion: 52.17%
Verdict: Slightly behind plan

Step by step

1Values used
2Release Burndown
3Projected Total Sprints= 11.50
4Points Remaining= 165
5Scope Creep= 15.00
6Completion= 52.17
7Verdict= Slightly behind plan

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 5 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Release Burndown calculated?

Projected sprints = elapsed + remaining points ÷ observed velocity Projecting from observed velocity rather than planned velocity is what makes a burndown predictive. Tracking added scope separately shows whether a slipping date is a delivery problem or a scope problem.

Why does Release Burndown matter?

Scope creep and slow delivery need opposite responses, and a burndown that hides added scope makes them indistinguishable.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 5 inputs: Original scope, Scope added since start, Points completed, Sprints elapsed, Sprints planned. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.