Brundown chart estimation line is vertical

Question

I started a sprint. I entered estimation points before the sprint started and entered the stories in the sprints before the sprint was started. Then I started the sprint. I looked at the burndown chart and I saw the estimation line as vertical. Trying to figure out why, need help.

Scott Theus · Answer

Hi @Jonathan Dempsey,

Based on your screen shot I don't quite understand what you are asking. Here is how I am reading your burn down chart:

* The Sprint "DB Greatness" was scheduled for Nov 8 through Nov 22 
* The gray Guideline shows how the estimated progress of the work through the course of the sprint, ending on Nov 22 
* Both stories totaled 5 story points. One completed on Nov 8 and the other on Nov 9, as shown by the red Remaining Values line. 
* The sprint was closed on Nov 9.

If the two stores were not in "Done" status and the sprint was still open your guideline would probably be nearly the same if not exact, but your remaining values would not be dropping off a cliff at the beginning of the sprint.

-Scott

Jonathan Dempsey · Answer

Sorry didn't finish.

* A third cause would be that the issues had a release date earlier than the start of the sprint; they will therefore show up as "Issue added to sprint after start time" and the guideline won't load correctly.

The Sprint data:

started Nov 9th

projected end nov 23rd

Release data

Start date - nov4th

Release date - Dec14th

Jonathan Dempsey · Answer

Victor,

I appreciate the response but I have already been to this page and this does not help me.

* This is an expected behavior if the sprint was started before assigning any tasks to the sprint. Hence the guideline is created as 0.

Stories were entered in the sprint before the sprint was started. I started with two stories.

* Another cause would be the sprint was started with issues that had no estimation values configured, and the estimation values were added after the sprint was started.

I entered story points before the sprint started

* A third cause would be that the issues had a release date earlier than the start of the sprint; they will therefore show up as "Issue added to sprint after start time" and the guideline won't load correctly.

The Sprint data:

The release end date is December 18th.

There has to be something else I am missing.