Skip to content
ENExplore Calculators

Remediation Progress Calculator

Track backlog burn-down: closure and intake rates, net change, current backlog and how long until you reach your target.

About Remediation Progress Calculator

The number that matters is the net rate, not the closure count. A team closing 210 findings a month looks productive until you notice 165 arrived in the same month, leaving a net of 45 and a ten-month path to target. When the net rate is zero or negative, no amount of extra effort in the same mode will clear the backlog — the intake side has to change, usually through golden images, base-image patching or dependency upgrades. Backlog burn-down is the metric that shows whether your programme is actually improving or just running hard, and the days-to-target figure is what justifies automation spend.

Formulas

Remediation Progress

Backlog now = starting backlog + new findings − closures. Net burn rate = (closures − new findings) ÷ period days, and days to target = (backlog − target) ÷ net burn rate.

net burn rate
Findings removed from the backlog per day, net of intake
closure ratio
Closures ÷ new findings; above 100% means the backlog shrinks
target
Backlog size you are aiming for

Closure ratio

Closure ratio = closures ÷ intake. Below 100% the backlog grows no matter how many findings your team closes.

Worked example

With the default values below, Remediation Progress Calculator returns Backlog Now of 435. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Backlog at the start of the periodaccepts 0–1,000,000 findings
480 findings
Findings closed in the periodaccepts 0–1,000,000 findings
210 findings
New findings in the periodaccepts 0–1,000,000 findings
165 findings
Length of the periodaccepts 1–365 days
30 days
Target backlogaccepts 0–1,000,000 findings
200 findings

Results

Backlog Now
435 findings
Net Change This Period
45 findings
Closure Rate
7.00 per day
Net Burn Rate
1.50 per day
Closure Ratio
127.3%
Days to Reach Target
157 days
Trajectory
Shrinking — target reached in about 157 days at the current rate

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Remediation Progress
  3. 3Closure ratio
  4. 4Backlog Now= 435 findings
  5. 5Net Change This Period= 45 findings
  6. 6Closure Rate= 7.00 per day
  7. 7Net Burn Rate= 1.50 per day
  8. 8Closure Ratio= 127.3
  9. 9Days to Reach Target= 157 days

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 or fees or charges 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 Remediation Progress calculated?

Backlog now = starting backlog + new findings − closures. Net burn rate = (closures − new findings) ÷ period days, and days to target = (backlog − target) ÷ net burn rate. The number that matters is the net rate, not the closure count. A team closing 210 findings a month looks productive until you notice 165 arrived in the same month, leaving a net of 45 and a ten-month path to target. When the net rate is zero or negative, no amount of extra effort in the same mode will clear the backlog — the intake side has to change, usually through golden images, base-image patching or dependency upgrades.

Why does Remediation Progress matter?

Backlog burn-down is the metric that shows whether your programme is actually improving or just running hard, and the days-to-target figure is what justifies automation spend.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 5 inputs: Backlog at the start of the period, Findings closed in the period, New findings in the period, Length of the period, Target backlog. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

Why is my backlog growing when the team is closing more than ever?

Because intake grew too, usually from new scan coverage, new assets or a noisy new plugin. Split intake into genuinely new exposure and newly visible existing exposure — the second kind is a one-off bulge and should be tracked separately.

Should the target backlog be zero?

No. A healthy programme runs a small steady-state backlog of low-severity findings; zero is achievable only by suppressing aggressively. Set the target from the volume you can hold within SLA, and keep criticals at zero instead.

Related Calculators

Remediation Progress Calculator – Calculate Backlog Now