How to create Burn up Chart in Excel?

Here’s what you need to do in Excel to make a burn-up chart:

• Prepare data: Sort the information into two columns: one for the dates and one for the total amount of work done.
• To add a chart, click the “Line Chart” button on the “Insert” tab. Choose the “Stacked Line” type of chart.
• Add data: Click on the “Design” tab and then on the chart. Click “Select Data” and add the date column as the X-axis and the total work column as the Y-axis.
• Format chart: Change the colors, labels, gridlines, etc. to make the chart look the way you want.
• Right-click on the data series and choose “Add Trendline” to add a trendline. Pick “Linear” as the type.
• Format the trendline by changing its color, width, etc. to make it look the way you want.
• Add target line: Add another data series for the target amount of work and make it a horizontal line to show the target.
• Finalize chart: Save the chart and call it whatever you want.
• Note: This is just a basic guide and your specific chart may require different steps or customization.

What Is a Burndown Chart?

A burndown chart is a visual representation of work remaining in a project over time. It is used in Agile project management to track progress and estimate when the work will be completed. The chart plots the remaining work on the vertical axis and the time on the horizontal axis. The burndown chart is updated regularly, usually at the end of each day or each sprint, to show how much work has been completed and how much is left. The goal is to see a downward trend over time, indicating that the team is making progress towards completing the project. A flat or upward trend in the chart can indicate a problem that needs to be addressed.
How to prepare the data in Excel?

Here’s how to prepare the data in Excel for a burndown chart:

• Create a table: Start by creating a table with two columns. One column for the date and another for the remaining work.
• Enter starting values: In the first row, write down the start date and the total amount of work for the project.
• Track your progress by writing the date and the new amount of work left in each new row. This should be done often, usually at the end of each day or each sprint.
• Work done each day or during a sprint: To figure out how much work was done in each period, subtract the amount of work left over from the amount of work done in the previous period.
• Steps 3 and 4 should be repeated until the project is done: Keep adding the most recent information to the table until the project is done and all the work is done.
• Finalize the data: Clean up the table by getting rid of any rows or columns that aren’t being used and, if necessary, adding labels to the columns.
• Note: For the burndown chart to work, you need to have correct and up-to-date information. Make sure that the table is always and regularly updated.

How to Use a Burn-Up Chart?

• A burn-up chart is a way to see how a project is coming along over time. It shows how much work has been done and how much more needs to be done. How to read a burn-up chart:
• Find the X-axis. Usually, the X-axis shows time in days, weeks, or sprints.
• Find the Y-axis. The Y-axis shows how much work needs to be done. This is usually measured in units of effort, hours, or story points.
• Find the completed work line. This line shows the total amount of work that has been done over time. It starts with the whole amount of work and gets smaller as the project goes on.
• Find the target line. The amount of work that was planned for the project is shown on the target line. The total amount of work for the project is usually shown by a horizontal line.
• Compare the line of completed work to the line of the goal: A project that is going well will have a line of completed work that is close to the target line and goes down over time. This shows that the team is making progress and getting the work done as planned.
• Find any differences. Differences between the line of completed work and the line of the goal can indicate problems with the project, such as scope creep, delays, or poor resource management.
• Look at the overall trend. The overall trend of the burn-up chart can tell you a lot about how the project is going and whether it is on track to be finished on time and on budget.
• Note: The details of a burn-up chart can change based on the project and the data being shown, but the basic ideas described above should work for most burn-up charts.