Forum Discussion
Advocate IIINeed help with Capacity metric app
Hey msprog ,
Here’s a breakdown of the key terms from the Capacity Metrics App and an explanation of what they mean in the context of the chart you’ve shared:
Metrics Definitions
Add %
This refers to new tasks/items being added to the backlog during the time period.
Example: If you have 100 units of carryforward work, and 200 units are added during a specific time interval, the Add % is 200%, meaning the backlog has increased 2x compared to the existing work.
Important Note: Add ≠ CarryForward.
CarryForward is the existing work that hasn’t been cleared.
Add is new work introduced on top of it.
Burndown %
This refers to the percentage of work that was completed or removed from the carryforward during the interval.
If 50% of the carryforward work is completed, the Burndown % will be 50%.
A high burndown % is desirable it shows effective processing of existing tasks.
Cumulative %
This is a running total of carryforward represented as a percentage of some baseline (like initial capacity or a fixed threshold).
In your chart, this is shown with the red line (right axis).
It helps monitor long-term trends – whether your backlog is growing or shrinking over time.
Chart Interpretation
Looking at the image:
The green bars represent CarryForward %, showing how much work is being carried over.
The red line (Cumulative %) shows a rising trend, indicating backlog is growing steadily.
In the leftmost bar, the Add % is 200%, which means:
New tasks added in that period were double the current carryforward.
It’s a signal that the team or system is under strain and new work is outpacing the ability to clear existing tasks.
Summary of “Add % of 200”
It means: The system received twice the volume of new tasks compared to what was already pending.
Implication: Without a corresponding increase in burndown, the backlog (carryforward) will grow.
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Best Regards,
Nasif Azam
Super UserHi msprog ,
In Microsoft Fabric’s Capacity Metrics app, Add %, Burndown %, and Cumulative % are metrics that together show how much work is piling up and being processed when your capacity is overloaded. Add % (shown as green bars in the chart) represents the portion of your capacity that was exceeded and thus added to the carryforward backlog (the overage “debt”) in that time window.
For example, an Add % of 200% means the backlog grew by an amount equal to twice your capacity in that interval – a significant overload beyond the 100% capacity limit. Burndown % (blue bars) indicates the percentage of that carryforward backlog that was burned down (processed) once utilization dropped below full capacity, allowing the system to catch up on queued work.
Finally, Cumulative % (the red line) shows the total carryforward backlog at each point in time as a percentage of capacity – essentially the accumulated over-capacity work that still needs to be cleared. In other words, Add % spikes when new work is added to the backlog because the system is over capacity, Burndown % spikes when backlog work is being processed, and the Cumulative % line rises if additions outpace burndowns (indicating a growing carryforward backlog). This means Add measures new overage being added, while carryforward refers to the backlog of deferred work itself (tracked by the rising Cumulative %).