Agilebars User Guide

This is the master user guide for Agilebars. It is complete for everything Agilebars does on its own, and is used alongside the common guides, which cover what all three products share — the canvas and the user interface, the data model and scheduling engine, configuration and picklists, spreadsheet sync and data control, reports, risks and issues, cloud publishing and notifications. Costbars and Timebars each have their own master guide in the same way.

The Kanban Primer at the end of this guide was previously a separate document and is now part of this one.

Agilebars Sprint Scheduler is a visual sprint planning tool designed for Agile Scrum teams to manage product backlogs, plan sprints, track progress, and generate burndown charts. This guide focuses on Agilebars-specific features—the differences from Timebars and Costbars.

For features common across all products (Bar Creator, Spreadsheet Sync, Reports, Data Management, Cloud Publishing, etc.), see the Common Help Topics section at the end of this guide.

Table of Contents

1. What Makes Agilebars Different?
2. Getting Started with Agilebars
3. ⚡ Get Started Fast with Ask AI
4. The Agilebars Hierarchy
5. Dual-Mode Canvas: Timescale and Kanban
6. Kanban Board: Visual Workflow Management
7. Prerequisites for Accurate Burndown Charts
8. Burndown Charts
9. Kanban Board KPIs
10. Agilebars Scheduling Engine
11. Tips for Agile Scrum Teams
12. Common Help Topics
13. Quick Reference
14. Support
15. Kanban Primer

What Makes Agilebars Different?

Agilebars is specifically designed for Agile Scrum sprint management with these unique features:

1. Dual-Mode Canvas: Switch instantly between Timescale mode and Kanban mode
2. 2-Level Hierarchy: Simplified structure (Projects and Tasks only—no portfolios or allocations)
3. Kanban Board: Visual workflow with 5 swim lanes (Backlog, Will Do, Doing, Finalizing, Done)
4. Automatic Progress Tracking: Move tasks between lanes to earn progress automatically
5. Burndown Charts: One-click generation based on lane movements and time-phased sizing
6. Earned Value Scheduling: Progress is calculated, not manually entered
7. Sprint-Focused: Optimized for 1-4 week sprint cycles

Best For:

• Scrum teams managing sprints
• Product owners tracking backlog reduction
• Agile coaches measuring team velocity
• Development teams visualizing work in progress

Getting Started with Agilebars

Prerequisites

Before diving into Agilebars, we recommend:

1. Read Common Help: Review the Common User Interface Guide for basics like:

   • How to create bars using Bar Creator
   • How to delete and duplicate bars
   • How to use filters and search
   • How to manage data with spreadsheets

2. Visit the Sales Site: Understand the value proposition:

   • Benefits Presentation
   • Features Presentation
   • Product Overview

3. Get a License (Optional):

   • Use Agilebars free for small projects (limited bars)
   • Purchase a subscription to remove limits
   • See video on licensing

Access Agilebars Sprint Planner Client Application

Visit: ab.timebars.com

⚡ Get Started Fast with Ask AI

Ask AI can help you in two ways inside Agilebars:

1. Answer your questions. The Ask AI button on the main menu opens a help chat that answers "how do I…" questions about using Agilebars, based on the official documentation.
2. Create work items for you. From a Project (sprint backlog) bar, you can have AI generate Tasks and Milestones instead of adding each one by hand.

To generate work items:

1. Click the Project bar's ID to open its status pop-up form.
2. Click the ✨ sparkle icon (the Ask AI button) on that form.
3. Describe the work in plain English — for example, "Create the user-story tasks for a mobile login and registration feature" — and click Create.
4. Refresh the page (F5) to see the new tasks on the board.

Agilebars is different: Agilebars uses a simple two-level structure (Projects and Tasks — no Portfolios, Sub-Projects or resource Allocations). For that reason, Agilebars does not create the automatic "Get Started" Portfolio bar that Timebars and Costbars provide, and the resource-staffing options described in the common guide do not apply here. In Agilebars you begin from a Project (sprint backlog) bar.

📚 For the full Ask AI walkthrough and tips, see Common_06_How_To_Use_Ask_AI ("How to Use Ask AI") in the Common Help Topics.

The Agilebars Hierarchy

Unlike Timebars and Costbars (which support 5-level hierarchies), Agilebars uses a simple 2-level hierarchy optimized for Agile workflows:

Two Levels Only

Level 2 - Green Bars: Projects (Sprint Backlogs)

• Represents a sprint backlog or project
• Contains multiple work items (tasks)
• Color: Green
• Example: "Sprint 12 - Mobile App Features"

Level 4 - Blue Bars: Tasks (Work Items)

• Represents user stories, tasks, or backlog items
• Must be created under a Project (green bar)
• Color: Blue
• Example: "User Story: Login with OAuth"

No Other Levels

• No L1 (Portfolios): Agilebars doesn't support portfolio-level management
• No L3 (Sub-Projects): No need for work packages in sprint planning
• No L5 (Allocations): Work sizing is assigned directly to tasks, not separate allocation bars

Hierarchy Rules:

• Green bars (Projects) cannot be nested under each other
• Blue bars (Tasks) must be dropped onto Green bars (Projects)
• Attempting to violate the hierarchy triggers a warning and prevents the action

Dual-Mode Canvas: Timescale and Kanban

The power of Agilebars lies in its ability to switch instantly between two modes:

Timescale Mode (Default)

What It Is:

• Traditional timeline view showing tasks on a calendar
• Horizontal bars represent work items across time
• Time-phases tasks from sprint start to sprint finish

When to Use:

• Planning sprint timelines
• Sizing work items with start/finish dates
• Visualizing sprint duration
• Setting up data before using Kanban mode

Key Point: Burndown charts are time-phased, so you must use Timescale mode to assign dates to tasks before generating accurate burndown charts.

Kanban Mode

What It Is:

• Visual board with swim lanes representing workflow stages
• Drag-and-drop tasks between lanes to update progress
• Real-time progress tracking based on lane position

When to Use:

• Daily sprint standups
• Tracking work in progress
• Updating task status quickly
• Visualizing team workload

How to Switch: Click the "Switch Modes" icon on the main menu (top center of screen)

• Switches from Timescale → Kanban
• Click again to switch back: Kanban → Timescale
• No import/export required—data syncs instantly

Kanban Board: Visual Workflow Management

What is a Kanban Board?

A Kanban board is a visual project management tool that helps teams track and manage work effectively using swim lanes and cards (bars).

Benefits:

• Clear visual representation of workflow
• Promotes team collaboration and transparency
• Manages work-in-progress limits
• Tracks and prioritizes tasks
• Identifies blockers quickly
• Drives continuous improvement

Digital vs. Physical: While traditional Kanban uses sticky notes on a wall, Agilebars provides a digital Kanban board that:

• Automatically calculates progress
• Generates burndown chart data
• Syncs with timescale view
• Stores all data in the browser

The 5 Agilebars Lanes

Tasks (blue bars) move through 5 swim lanes representing workflow stages:

1. Backlog

Purpose: Work items not yet committed to the sprint

Characteristics:

• 0% progress
• No actual start date set
• Represents the product backlog or sprint candidate items

Actions:

• Add new tasks here
• Prioritize and groom backlog items
• Move to "Will Do" when committing to sprint

2. Will Do

Purpose: Work committed to the sprint but not yet started

Characteristics:

• 0% progress (no progress earned by moving here)
• Actual start date: Not set
• Represents sprint Comittment

Actions:

• Move from Backlog when sprint planning is complete
• Prioritize order for sprint execution
• Move to "Doing" when work begins

3. Doing

Purpose: Work actively in progress

Characteristics:

• 10% progress earned when task enters this lane
• Actual start date: Automatically set when dropped here
• Represents active development/work

Progress Calculation:

• Moving to "Doing" earns 10% of the sizing value
• 10% covers planning effort
• System automatically records actual start date

Actions:

• Move to "Finalizing" when development complete and ready for testing/review

4. Finalizing

Purpose: Work in final stages (testing, review, approval)

Characteristics:

• 75% total progress (65% additional when entering)
• Represents testing, code review, proofreading, approval stages
• Team defines their own "finalizing" rules

Progress Calculation:

• Entering "Finalizing" earns additional 65% of sizing value
• Total progress now: 10% (Doing) + 65% (Finalizing) = 75%

Actions:

• Move to "Done" when all acceptance criteria met and item is complete

5. Done

Purpose: Work completed and accepted

Characteristics:

• 100% progress (25% additional when entering)
• Actual finish date: Automatically set when dropped here
• Represents completed, accepted work

Progress Calculation:

• Entering "Done" earns final 25% of sizing value
• Total progress: 10% + 65% + 25% = 100%

Actions:

• Task is complete
• Contributes to sprint velocity
• Included in burndown chart as "work burned down"

Progress Calculation Rules

Understanding how progress accumulates is critical for accurate burndown charts:

Important Notes:

• Progress is based on the sizing value of the task (hours or story points)
• The percentages (10%, 65%, 25%) represent portions of total work
• Moving backwards (e.g., Done → Doing) reverses progress calculations
• Progress is earned automatically—you never manually set percent complete

How to Use the Kanban Board

Step-by-Step Workflow:

1. Set Report Date First:

   • Choose Tools > Canvas Settings
   • Set Report Date to today's date
   • This ensures accurate date tracking when moving tasks

2. Create Sprint Backlog (Green Bar):

   • Use Bar Creator to create a Project bar
   • Name it (e.g., "Sprint 12 - Q1 2025")
   • Set sprint start and finish dates in Timescale mode

3. Add Work Items (Blue Bars):

   • Use Bar Creator to add Tasks under the Project
   • Drop blue Task Creator Bar onto green Project bar
   • Name each task (e.g., "User Story: Add Payment Gateway")
   • Size each task with hours or story points in Timescale mode

4. Switch to Kanban Mode:

   • Click "Switch Modes" icon on main menu
   • Tasks appear in Backlog lane by default

5. Plan Sprint:

   • Drag committed tasks from Backlog to Will Do lane
   • Prioritize order top to bottom

6. Execute Sprint:

   • As work starts, drag task from Will Do to Doing
   • Actual start date auto-records
   • Progress automatically updates to 10%

7. Track Progress:

   • When development complete, drag from Doing to Finalizing
   • Progress updates to 75%
   • Use for testing, review, approval phases

8. Complete Work:

   • When fully done, drag from Finalizing to Done
   • Progress updates to 100%
   • Actual finish date auto-records

9. Update Report Date Daily:

   • Important: Set Report Date to match the day you move bars
   • Ensures burndown chart calculates accurately

10. Generate Burndown Chart:

    • See Burndown Chart section below

Kanban Display Options

Toggle Between Bars and Text Boxes:

• Right-click on Kanban Canvas
• Select "Toggle Bars vs Text Boxes" from shortcut menu
• Bars: Visual bar representation (default)
• Text Boxes: Condensed text-only cards for more compact view

Large Screen Recommended: Choose a large, visible screen for optimal Kanban board visibility, especially during daily standups and team collaboration.

Prerequisites for Accurate Burndown Charts

Before generating burndown charts, complete these essential steps to ensure reliable forecasting and progress tracking.

Why Prerequisites Matter

If you take the time to estimate each work item with the skilled person responsible for completing it and ensure progress updates based on their input, you can begin to trust and rely on burndown charts as the primary reporting tool for problem-solving and predicting when the sprint will be completed.

Step 1: Define the Sprint Goal and Backlog

Start by understanding the sprint goal and the list of tasks or user stories that the development team commits to completing during the sprint. This forms the sprint backlog.

What to do:

• Clarify the sprint objective with product owner and stakeholders
• Identify all user stories, tasks, or work items for the sprint
• Ensure each item contributes to the sprint goal

Step 2: Estimate the Work

Estimate the effort required for each task and store the sizing in the Work field. This can be done using story points, task hours, or any other unit of measurement agreed upon by the team.

What to do:

• Work with the skilled person responsible for completing each task
• Assign realistic sizing based on their expertise and input
• Use consistent units (hours or story points) across all tasks
• Store estimates in the Work field for each blue Task bar

Why this matters: The Agilebars scheduling engine is modeled after the Earned Value concept, where progress is earned and task percent complete is calculated automatically based on sizing.

Step 3: Identify the Sprint Duration

Determine the duration of the sprint. Sprints typically last 1 to 4 weeks, and the length is defined during sprint planning.

What to do:

• Set sprint start and finish dates on the Green Project bar in Timescale mode
• Ensure all blue Task bars fall within the sprint timeframe
• Distribute tasks across the sprint timeline appropriately

Step 4: Complete a Progress Update

Collaborate with team members, gather the status, set the Report Date, and move bars to the correct stage based on input from the person doing the work.

What to do:

• Set Report Date to today (Tools > Canvas Settings > Report Date)
• Ask team members: "What lane should this task be in?"
• Move tasks between Kanban lanes based on actual progress
• Update daily during standup meetings

Progress Rules Reminder:

• Move from Backlog to Will Do: Earns no progress
• Move from Will Do to Doing: Earns 10% for planning effort
• Move from Doing to Finalizing: Earns 65% for work accomplished
• Move from Finalizing to Done: Earns 25% (total 100%) for final work accomplished

This process enforces updating progress, ensures accuracy, improves productivity, and achieves better results.

Set Report Date (Mandatory)

Every day that you will be moving a bar into lanes that drive progress (Doing, Finalizing, and Done), you must set the Report Date. Set it to match the date that the progress was given to you by your team.

How:

• Choose Tools > Set Canvas > Report Date
• Set to today's date
• Now start moving bars between Doing, Finalizing, and Done lanes

Why: The Report Date determines when actual start and actual finish dates are recorded, ensuring accurate historical tracking.

Burndown Charts

The burndown chart is Agilebars' primary reporting tool for visualizing sprint progress and forecasting completion.

What is a Burndown Chart?

A burndown chart shows the amount of work remaining over time during a sprint:

Two Lines:

1. Ideal Trend Line (Planned): Diagonal line from total work at sprint start to zero at sprint end—represents perfect progress
2. Actual Burndown Line (Forecast/Current): Shows actual remaining work based on task completion—updated as you move tasks between lanes

Axes:

• X-Axis (Horizontal): Time (days in the sprint)
• Y-Axis (Vertical): Remaining work (hours, story points, or sizing units)

Interpretation:

• Below Ideal Line: Team is ahead of schedule
• On Ideal Line: Team is on track
• Above Ideal Line: Team is behind schedule

How Burndown Charts Work in Agilebars

Agilebars uses Earned Value Management principles:

Key Concept: Progress is earned, not manually set. As tasks move through Kanban lanes, progress accumulates automatically, and work remaining decreases.

Data Sources:

1. Task Sizing: You assign hours or story points to each task in Timescale mode
2. Lane Movements: Moving tasks between lanes earns progress (10%, 75%, 100%)
3. Time Phasing: Dates assigned in Timescale mode distribute work across sprint timeline
4. Calculation Engine: Agilebars calculates remaining work for each day of the sprint

Why Time-Phasing Matters: Burndown charts are time-phased—they show work remaining by day. You must use Timescale mode to assign start/finish dates to tasks before the chart can accurately calculate daily remaining work.

How to Generate a Burndown Chart

Step-by-Step:

1. Prepare Data in Timescale Mode:

   • Switch to Timescale mode if in Kanban
   • Ensure all tasks have start and finish dates within the sprint
   • Verify all tasks have sizing values (hours or story points)
   • Tasks should span from sprint start to sprint finish

2. Open Burndown Chart Page:

   • Click on the Project bar (green bar) in either mode
   • In the popup, click the second row of text (e.g., "Pj:40")
   • This launches the Cost Schedule popup
   • Click "Burndown Chart" link
   • Burndown Chart page opens

3. Take the Current Forecast:

   • Under the "Current Forecast" heading, click [Create!]
   • This takes a snapshot of the sprint from your task bars
   • The button then reads [Recalculate!], and the field shows the date the snapshot was taken
   • The x-axis is the sprint's own working days, taken from the project bar's start and finish

4. Create the Baseline (first time):

   • Under the "Planned (Baseline)" heading, click [Create!]
   • This freezes the plan you will be measured against
   • Now you have two lines:
     • Planned (Baseline): your original sprint plan — frozen, it will not move
     • Current Forecast: re-taken each reporting period, so it tracks the team's progress

5. Update Progress in Kanban:

   • Switch back to Kanban mode
   • Move cards between lanes as work progresses
   • Each movement updates progress and remaining work

6. Recalculate, then Re-run:

   • Once the team has finished updating the board for the reporting period, return to the Burndown Chart page and click [Recalculate!] under Current Forecast
   • Then click "Run!" to redraw
   • Planned (Baseline) stays exactly where it was

   Run! only draws — it never recalculates. That is deliberate: your Current Forecast is the snapshot as at the reporting date. Come back the next day, press Run!, and you still see the picture the team reported, rather than one that has quietly absorbed actuals entered after the cutoff. Recalculating is always your decision.

7. Compare the Lines:

   • Compare the Current Forecast against Planned (Baseline)
   • Assess if the team is ahead, on track, or behind
   • Use the insights for daily standups and sprint retrospectives
   • After a scope change, take a Revised Baseline Plan and compare against that instead

How to Read and Interpret the Burndown Chart

Understanding how to read the burndown chart is essential for making informed decisions during the sprint.

Chart Axes

Time Axis (X-Axis - Horizontal):

• Represents time in days or increments (e.g., Day 1, Day 2, etc.)
• Corresponds to the duration of the sprint
• Each point represents one day in the sprint timeline
• Starts at Day 0 (sprint start) and ends at final day (sprint end)

Work Remaining Axis (Y-Axis - Vertical):

• Represents the amount of remaining work in the sprint backlog
• Measured in your chosen units (story points, task hours, etc.)
• Starts high (total work at sprint start)
• Should decrease to zero by sprint end

Chart Lines

Ideal Trend Line (Planned Baseline):

• Diagonal line from the starting point to zero remaining work
• Represents the total work initially planned for the sprint (sum of all estimated tasks)
• Assumes the team completes an equal amount of work each day
• Shows perfect linear progress
• Remains unchanged throughout the sprint (represents original plan)

Actual Burndown Line (Current Forecast):

• Updates as the sprint progresses
• Plots the actual amount of remaining work at the end of each day
• Connects the data points to form the actual burndown line
• Recalculates each time you refresh the chart
• Reflects real-world progress based on tasks moved to Done lane

Interpreting Progress

Compare the Actual line to the Ideal line:

Monitor Progress During the Sprint

Daily Monitoring:

1. Update the chart daily by refreshing after moving tasks in Kanban mode
2. Compare actual to ideal at each daily standup
3. Identify trends early—don't wait until the last few days
4. Look for patterns:
   • Consistent gap above ideal line = structural problem (under-capacity, poor estimates, blockers)
   • Spiky line = uneven progress (batch completions, dependencies)
   • Flat periods = work stalled (blockers, waiting on external dependencies)

Adjustments and Analysis

If Actual Line Consistently Falls Below Ideal:

• Meaning: Team is ahead of schedule
• Analysis:
  • Were estimates too conservative?
  • Did team increase capacity (overtime, additional resources)?
  • Were tasks simpler than expected?
• Actions:
  • Recognize and celebrate team performance
  • Consider pulling in additional work from backlog
  • Use this data to refine estimates for future sprints

If Actual Line Consistently Goes Above Ideal:

• Meaning: Team is falling behind
• Analysis:
  • Are estimates too optimistic?
  • Are there unexpected blockers or dependencies?
  • Is the team under-staffed or dealing with distractions?
  • Was scope added mid-sprint (scope creep)?
• Actions:
  • Identify and remove blockers immediately
  • Escalate issues to product owner or scrum master
  • Consider descoping—remove lower-priority work from sprint
  • Adjust sprint goal to reflect reality
  • Discuss root causes in retrospective

If Actual Line is Flat (No Progress):

• Meaning: Critical issue—no work is being completed
• Analysis:
  • Are there blocking dependencies?
  • Is the team waiting on external resources?
  • Are team members diverted to other priorities?
  • Is there a technical blocker preventing progress?
• Actions:
  • Urgent: Hold special meeting to identify blockers
  • Escalate to leadership if external blocker
  • Reassess sprint viability—may need to abort and replan
  • Document lessons learned for future sprints

Using Burndown Data for Decision-Making

Sprint Planning (Next Sprint):

• Review past burndown charts to understand team velocity
• Use average completion rate to plan realistic sprint capacity
• Adjust estimates based on historical accuracy

Daily Standups:

• Show burndown chart on screen during standup
• Use as conversation starter: "We're tracking above the ideal line—what blockers do we have?"
• Focus team on closing the gap or maintaining pace

Sprint Reviews:

• Present burndown chart to stakeholders
• Explain deviations from plan with evidence
• Build trust through transparency and empirical data

Sprint Retrospectives:

• Analyze why actual deviated from ideal
• Identify process improvements
• Celebrate when actual tracks ideal (predictability achievement)

Key Insights from Burndown Patterns

Pattern 1: Smooth Decline

• Actual line closely follows ideal line
• Insight: Excellent sprint execution, accurate estimates, minimal blockers
• Action: Maintain current practices; document what's working

Pattern 2: Step Function (Staircase Pattern)

• Actual line has sharp drops followed by flat periods
• Insight: Batch completions (e.g., all tasks done at sprint end)
• Action: Encourage continuous delivery; break tasks into smaller increments

Pattern 3: Late Surge

• Actual line flat for most of sprint, then drops sharply at end
• Insight: Procrastination, dependencies clearing late, or poor task breakdown
• Action: Improve task sizing; address dependencies earlier; encourage steady progress

Pattern 4: Early Plateau

• Actual line drops early, then flattens before sprint end
• Insight: Easy tasks done first, hard tasks left for later; or sprint over-committed
• Action: Better task sequencing; pair easy and hard tasks throughout sprint

Next Steps: Continuous Improvement

After Reading the Chart:

1. Take action based on what the chart reveals
2. Communicate findings with the team and stakeholders
3. Adjust plans if necessary (descope, add resources, remove blockers)
4. Document insights for retrospective discussion
5. Refine estimates for future sprints based on empirical data

Remember: The burndown chart is a visual representation of the team's progress, and it should be updated regularly to reflect the current state of the sprint. It is a valuable tool for transparency, communication, and identifying potential issues during the sprint.

Advanced Burndown Features

Additional Revised Plans (Baselines):

• Re-baseline the sprint after a scope change, so you can compare against the plan you are actually working to rather than the one you abandoned
• Under the "Additional Revised Plans (Baselines)" heading, click [Create!] on Revised Baseline Plan 1, 2 or 3
• Use the radio buttons under "Compare the Current Forecast against one of these baselines:" to choose which one the chart is drawn against

The two kinds of series:

• Current Forecast — the live line. It is rebuilt from your task bars every time you press Run!, so it moves through the reporting periods as the team updates the board.
• Planned (Baseline) and Revised Baseline Plan 1-3 — frozen snapshots. They do not move, which is what makes them worth comparing against.

Use Cases:

• Planned (Baseline): the original sprint plan, taken when scope was settled
• Revised Baseline Plan 1: mid-sprint re-plan after a scope change
• Revised Baseline Plan 2: end-of-sprint final, for retrospective analysis

Best Practices for Burndown Charts

1. Size Tasks Accurately:

   • Involve the person doing the work in sizing
   • Use consistent units (hours or story points)
   • Re-estimate if new information emerges

2. Update Daily:

   • Move tasks to correct lanes during daily standups
   • Set Report Date to today's date before moving tasks
   • Refresh burndown chart daily to track progress

3. Time-Phase in Timescale:

   • Assign realistic start/finish dates in Timescale mode
   • Distribute work evenly across sprint days
   • Avoid bunching all work at sprint start or end

4. Use Empirical Data:

   • Base decisions on actual progress (what has happened)
   • Trust the burndown chart if sizing and updates are accurate
   • Use chart to forecast sprint completion realistically

5. Create Baseline Before Starting:

   • Run chart and create Planned baseline before sprint work begins
   • This preserves original plan for comparison
   • Update forecast as sprint progresses

What the Scrum Guide Says

From the 2020 Agile Scrum Guide:

"Various practices exist to forecast progress, like burn-downs, burn-ups, or cumulative flows. While proven useful, these do not replace the importance of empiricism. In complex environments, what will happen is unknown. Only what has already happened may be used for forward-looking decision making."

What This Means:

• Burndown charts are proven useful but not mandatory
• Empiricism (evidence-based decisions) is paramount
• Use actual data (what has happened) for forecasting
• Don't rely solely on predictions—adapt based on reality

What Timebars Ltd. Says

Empiricism means basing decisions on real-world observations and data, not just forecasts.

However: If you take the time to:

1. Size each work item with the skilled person doing the work
2. Update progress accurately based on actual completion
3. Use continuous assessment and adjustment

...then you can trust and rely on burndown charts as the primary tool for predicting sprint finish.

Key: Accurate sizing + accurate progress tracking = reliable burndown forecasting.

Kanban Board KPIs

While the burndown chart visualizes progress, several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can be derived from Kanban and burndown data:

1. Velocity

Definition: The amount of work a team completes in a sprint

How Agilebars Helps:

• Burndown chart shows how much work gets done over time
• Sum of completed tasks (in Done lane) = sprint velocity
• Track velocity across sprints to predict future capacity

Use:

• Sprint planning: "We averaged 40 story points per sprint, so plan 40 for next sprint"
• Capacity forecasting for release planning

2. Sprint Progress

Definition: Percentage of sprint work completed at any point in time

How Agilebars Helps:

• Burndown chart shows work remaining vs. total work
• Progress = (Total Work - Remaining Work) / Total Work
• Visual comparison: Forecast line vs. Planned line

Use:

• Daily standups: "We're 60% done with 5 days left in the sprint"
• Early warning if team is falling behind

3. Resource Utilization

Definition: How effectively the team's capacity is being used

How Agilebars Helps:

• Steep burndown decline = team may be overburdened
• Flat burndown line = team may have capacity issues or blockers
• Lane distribution shows work-in-progress across stages

Use:

• Identify if team is over/under-allocated
• Balance workload across team members
• Detect bottlenecks (e.g., too much work stuck in Finalizing lane)

4. Predictability

Definition: Consistency in delivering planned work within sprints

How Agilebars Helps:

• Compare Forecast line to Planned line across sprints
• Large deviations = low predictability
• Forecast line tracking Planned line = high predictability

Use:

• Build stakeholder trust with consistent delivery
• Identify causes of variability (scope creep, poor estimates, external dependencies)
• Improve estimation accuracy over time

Agilebars Scheduling Engine

The Agilebars scheduling engine is unique among the Timebars product line, designed specifically for Agile Earned Value Management.

How It Works

Core Principle: Progress is calculated, not manually entered.

Workflow:

1. Size Tasks: Assign hours or story points to each task
2. Move Between Lanes: Drag tasks through Kanban workflow
3. Earn Progress Automatically: System calculates progress based on lane (10%, 75%, 100%)
4. Calculate Remaining Work: Total Work - Earned Progress = Work Remaining
5. Generate Burndown: Chart shows remaining work over time

No Manual Entry:

• You never manually set "percent complete" on tasks
• You don't track actual hours worked
• You don't bug developers for time estimates daily

Simple Questions: During daily standups, ask:

• Did the task start? → Move to Doing
• Is development done? → Move to Finalizing
• Is it completely done? → Move to Done

Agilebars does the rest of the calculations based on internal rules.

Benefits of Earned Value Approach

1. Reduced Overhead: No time tracking, no manual progress entry
2. Objective Progress: Based on workflow stage, not subjective estimates
3. Consistent Reporting: All tasks follow same progress rules
4. Focus on Workflow: Teams focus on moving work forward, not admin
5. Reliable Forecasting: Burndown charts reflect actual workflow progress

Tips for Agile Scrum Teams

Sprint Planning

1. Groom Backlog in Timescale:

   • Create all tasks in Timescale mode
   • Assign sizes (story points or hours)
   • Estimate start/finish dates for the sprint

2. Switch to Kanban for Commitment:

   • Move to Kanban mode
   • Drag committed tasks from Backlog → Will Do
   • Visualize sprint capacity

3. Create Baseline:

   • Generate burndown chart
   • Click [Create] under Planned heading
   • Save original sprint plan

Daily Standups

1. Use Kanban Board:

   • Display on large screen during standup
   • Visually see all work in progress
   • Quickly identify blockers

2. Update Report Date:

   • Set Report Date to today (Tools > Canvas Settings > Report Date)

3. Move Tasks:

   • Update task positions based on team feedback
   • Drag completed work to Done lane

4. Check Burndown (Optional):

   • Refresh chart to see daily progress
   • Share with team if significantly off track

Sprint Retrospectives

1. Review Burndown Chart:

   • Compare Planned vs. Forecast lines
   • Discuss why forecast deviated from plan
   • Identify improvement areas

2. Calculate Velocity:

   • Sum story points completed (tasks in Done lane)
   • Compare to previous sprint velocities
   • Adjust next sprint capacity

3. Analyze KPIs:

   • Velocity: Are we consistent?
   • Predictability: Did we deliver what we committed?
   • Resource Utilization: Were we overburdened or underutilized?

Sprint Reviews

1. Show Burndown Chart:

   • Demonstrate sprint progress to stakeholders
   • Explain deviations from plan
   • Build trust with empirical data

2. Export Data (Optional):

   • Use Spreadsheet Sync to export sprint data
   • Analyze in Excel for reports
   • Archive sprint data for historical tracking

Common Help Topics

For features shared across Agilebars, Timebars, and Costbars, refer to these comprehensive guides:

Core Functionality

• Common User Interface Guide - Bar Creator, Canvas, Shortcuts, Tools
• Data Synchronization, Backup, Recovery and Retention Guide - Data hierarchy, IndexedDB, backups

Data Management

• Data Synchronization, Backup, Recovery and Retention Guide - Bulk data import/export
• Common Risks Issues Change Requests User Guide - RIC management

Reporting

• Forms, Reports and Graphs Guide - In-app reports
• Common Cloud Reports and Dashboard Guide - Cloud dashboard

Cloud Features

• Common Cloud Publishing Guide - Publishing to Timebars Cloud

Quick Reference

Kanban Lane Progress Rules

Hierarchy

• L2 (Green): Projects / Sprint Backlogs
• L4 (Blue): Tasks / Work Items / User Stories

Burndown Workflow

1. Size tasks in Timescale mode
2. Switch to Kanban mode
3. Generate chart (Refresh → Run)
4. Create baseline ([Create] under Planned)
5. Move tasks between lanes as work progresses
6. Refresh chart to see updated forecast

Support

• Email: [email protected]
• Knowledge Base: www.timebars.com/knowledgebase
• Product Site: www.timebars.com/agilebars
• Phone: (613) 255-5374

Kanban Primer

What is the Agilebars Kanban

Have you ever considered using a Kanban board with sticky notes on a wall? This simple yet effective visual management technique can significantly enhance productivity and organization.

• A Kanban board provides a clear overview of tasks, promotes collaboration, and helps maintain focus by encouraging the completion of one task at a time. Sticky notes represent tasks or items, which are moved across the board as they progress through the workflow lanes (stages).

• Choose as large a screen as possible providing ample space for all your tasks.

• You can also toggle between bar and text boxes on the Kanban view as shown in this graphic. Right Click on Canvas > Toggle Bars/Boxes.

• You can also toggle to show bar relationship lines. Right Click on Canvas > Bar Relationships.

• Tasks or work items, are represented by blue bars on the Kanban Canvas. The Green bar represents the Project or Sprint. The Canvas is divided into 5 lanes:

1. Backlog
2. Will Do
3. Doing
4. Finalizing
5. Done

Each lane is a stage in the Sprint progress workflow.

What is the Finalizing Stage

The "Finalizing" stage offers inspecific functionality for the workflow that signifies that the work item is in the final stage such as testing, approving etc, you decide your own rules.

The movement of tasks between lanes automatically updates progress, enabling the system to generate a burndown chart in real-time.

• When you move a backlog item to the "Doing" lane, the system:

  • Automatically sets the actual start date
  • Adds progress based on predefined rules

• When you move the task into the "Finalizing" lane, the system:

  • Records additional progress, reflecting the task's nearing completion

• When you move the task to the "Done" lane, the system:

  • Marks the task as 100% complete
  • Automatically sets the actual finish date

These calculations occur behind the scenes, eliminating the need for manual updates while ensuring an accurate burndown chart.

Agilebars empowers Agile teams to plan sprints, track progress visually, and deliver predictably—all with minimal overhead and maximum transparency.