Cumulative Flow Diagram

Calculate By

The Calculate By setting controls what unit of work is counted in each band. By default, each issue counts as 1. You can switch to story points or time estimates for a more accurate picture of work volume.

All 5 Options

OptionWhat Is CountedBest When
Work Item CountNumber of issues in each bandDefault - works for all teams
Story PointsSum of story points for issues in each bandYour team sizes work with story points
Story Point EstimateSum of story point estimates (team-managed projects)Using team-managed Jira projects
Original Time Estimate (hours)Sum of original time estimatesYour team estimates in hours
Custom Numerical FieldSum of any custom numeric field you selectAny other numeric sizing field

Why It Matters

If your team has a mix of small and large issues, counting issues can be misleading. A sprint with 10 small bugs looks the same as a sprint with 10 large features.

Switching to Story Points shows the actual weight of work in each stage - giving a more accurate flow picture.