In Scrum, what is used to track progress across Sprints?

In Scrum, a Burndown Chart is a crucial tool used to track progress across Sprints. This chart visually represents the amount of work remaining in the Sprint backlog over time. It typically displays the remaining effort (measured in effort estimation units, such as story points or hours) on the vertical axis and the time (usually measured in days of the Sprint) on the horizontal axis.

As the Sprint progresses, the team completes tasks, and the remaining work decreases, creating a downward trend on the chart. This helps the team visualize how much work is left to do and assess whether they are on track to complete their commitments by the end of the Sprint. The Burndown Chart can also highlight any slip in progress and allow the team to make necessary adjustments.

The Product Backlog is a list of all desired work on the project but does not provide a visual measurement of progress over time. The Increment refers to the sum of all the completed work at the end of a Sprint, showcasing the output but is not a tracking tool. Status Reports can be used outside of Scrum to communicate progress but lack the specificity and visual tracking that a Burndown Chart offers. Thus, the Burndown Chart is the most effective and representative tool for tracking progress