We update the burn‑down and velocity charts only with points for stories that have passed their acceptance tests.
Recording only done stories prevents optimistic noise and makes the charts honest signals.
After several iterations both charts start to reveal a slope. And the burn‑down slope can help to predict the date for the next major milestone.
The velocity slope helps to show how effective and consistent the team is running (early iterations will be noisy; but expect stabilization after a few sprints).
The charts are feedback tools, not a performance shaming tool.
Discussions for your team
- Are we only counting stories that passed acceptance?
- Can our burn‑down help predict the next milestone?
- How do we keep charts a learning tool, and not a blame tool?