SG-02
Worklog Signal — Burst Pattern (End-Loaded Effort)
End-Loaded Effort
Default severity: medium
ProcessMetricsQualityEffort
What it detects
More than the configured proportion of total work logged on an issue was logged in the final days before resolution — work was done in a burst at the end rather than distributed across the active period. Indicates the issue was in progress on paper but not in practice. total_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, issue=I) last_N_days_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, issue=I, date > resolution_date - config.sg.burst_window_days) // default: 3d burst_pct = last_N_days_logged / max(1, total_logged)
Detection formula
IF burst_pct > config.sg.burst_threshold // default: 0.60 (60% of work in final 3 days) THEN FLAG end_burst IF burst_pct > config.sg.critical_burst_threshold // default: 0.80 THEN CRITICAL — work was likely done after the fact or the issue was blocked most of its lifeExamples in practice
- A team shows more than the configured proportion of total work logged on an issue was logged in the final days before resolution while burst threshold is set to 0.60 (60% of work in final 3 days).
- Example signal: More than the configured proportion of total work logged on an issue was logged in the final days before resolution — work was done in a burst at the end rather than distributed across the active period.
Suggested response
Use worklog shape (gaps, bursts, handoffs) to coach sustainable pacing and clarity.
Coaching playbook
Symptom
More than the configured proportion of total work logged on an issue was logged in the final days before resolution — work was done in a burst at the end rather than distributed across the active period. Indicates the issue was in progress on paper but not in practice. total_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, issue=I) last_N_days_logged = SUM(worklog.time_spent, issue=I, date > resolution_date - config.sg.burst_window_days) // default: 3d burst_pct = last_N_days_logged / max(1, total_logged)
Why it matters
When "Worklog Signal — Burst Pattern (End-Loaded Effort)" 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
Use worklog shape (gaps, bursts, handoffs) to coach sustainable pacing and clarity.
Facilitation questions
- What system change would stop "Worklog Signal — Burst Pattern (End-Loaded Effort)" 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.