Simplifying Cumulative Flow Diagram
How to easily read and make sense of cumulative flow diagram?
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On to this week’s question
Q: Hi Vibhor. Can you help me understand how to read cumulative flow diagrams? I am part of a Kanban team and I need to analyze the CFD to accurately communicate the project’s progress to the executives. I've always found CFD confusing and haven't been able to use it as effectively as others.
Thank you for the question.
I can relate to your situation.
When I joined my first Kanban team years ago, I avoided using CFDs for as long as possible until it became unavoidable. Eventually, I had to make peace with it.
For those who are not familiar with it, the Cumulative Flow Diagram can seem intimidating.
I mean, look at it:
What are all these colours for?
Why is “Done” occupying such a big area?
How do we measure anything just by looking at this diagram?
What does it mean when the lines are parallel?
What does it signify when the lines diverge or converge?
How can I derive actionable insights from this mess of lines and colours?
The overwhelm is perfectly normal!
But let me assure you. It's not as complex as it seems.
With a bit of practice and an understanding of the basics, you will be able to interpret a CFD, extract valuable information about your team's performance, and use it to communicate your team's progress effectively.
In fact, once you understand it, you'll find it's a powerful tool for visualizing workflow, identifying bottlenecks, and forecasting project completion.
Can it be used with Scrum?
Well... No, and Yes!
Why do I say that? You will find out near the end of the post.
Let's get straight into it.