What is Burndown Chart?
A graphical representation of work left to do versus time. The team can display it somewhere close to their location to keep a constant look at their progress. Burndown chart acts as an information radiator for a team and also for others. There are multiple ways Burndown chart can be generated. If the scope of work to be visualized is at the sprint level, then the burndown chart can be created using number of User Stories committed for a particular sprint or sum of user story points for a particular sprint or more granular by creating tasks for each story and provide estimate to the best knowledge of the team. The Burndown chart can also be created at a Product level, which will provide a visual for work progress for a product.
Why use Burndown Chart?
As mentioned above, it is an information radiator. Hence, it provides up-to-date progress of work which is being tracked using the chart. Having the visibility of such progress invokes the discussions around any hurdle or impediment faced by the team.
History
Burndown chart was first used and described by Ken Schwaber. A few years later, it gained popularity in scrum community.