Does the cumulative flow diagram (CFD) count arrivals in overall backlog or sprint backlog

Question

The documentation indicates that the work "arrives" when it enters that status of the left-most column on the board. In the case of sprints, does this mean it must actually enter the sprint backlog or is it considered to have "arrived" as soon as it enters the status mapped to that column (e.g., "Open")?

Walter Buggenhout · Accepted Answer

Hi @Addam Tait,

As soon as you add an issue in your overall backlog it will appear on the CFD associated with your board, as long as the filter behind your board does not exclude the issue. So it is not necessary to assign issues to a sprint to have them appear on the CFD.

If you don't have too many issues in your backlog, that is pretty easy to validate. Have a look at your CFD, then add a new issue to the backlog and have another look at the CFD afterwards. You should see an increase of the to do line at the right end of the chart.