BC-02
Sprint Burn-Down Slope Reversal — Scope Added
Burn Charts
Default severity: medium
PrioritizationMetricsOutputEffort
What it detects
The burn-down line reversed upward (remaining work increased) mid-sprint in any tracked dimension — indicates scope was added after sprint start. Must be distinguished from story point re-estimation. Detected per dimension.
Detection formula
FOR each_dimension D: daily_remaining = compute_remaining_series(D, sprint) reversals = COUNT(daily_remaining\[t\] > daily_remaining\[t-1\]) IF reversals >= 1 THEN FLAG (scope added or re-estimated up) reversal_sp = SUM(daily_remaining\[t\] - daily_remaining\[t-1\] WHERE delta>0) IF reversal_sp > committed(D) * config.bc.reversal_significance_pct // default: 10% THEN CRITICAL — report: date, amount, and issue keys addedExamples in practice
- A team shows the burn-down line reversed upward (remaining work increased) mid-sprint in any tracked dimension while reversal significance pct is set to 10%.
- Example signal: The burn-down line reversed upward (remaining work increased) mid-sprint in any tracked dimension — indicates scope was added after sprint start.
Suggested response
Re-plan remaining scope when burn charts show late work, scope creep, or stalls.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
The burn-down line reversed upward (remaining work increased) mid-sprint in any tracked dimension — indicates scope was added after sprint start. Must be distinguished from story point re-estimation. Detected per dimension.
Why it matters
When "Sprint Burn-Down Slope Reversal — Scope Added" keeps appearing, the team is signalling a repeatable process gap. Left unexamined, the pattern hides where work really stalls and makes improvement metrics harder to trust.
What you can achieve
Re-plan remaining scope when burn charts show late work, scope creep, or stalls.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Sprint Burn-Down Slope Reversal — Scope Added" from firing again?
- What do the cited issues have in common — same root cause or same workaround?
- Who owns the two-week experiment and how will we verify on the next import?
Run this rule against your own tracker data with Flow Analyzer.