What is a cumulative flow diagram (CFD)?

Adobe for Business Team

05-23-2025

Woman using a laptop computer, overlaied with a cumulative flow chart with 12 active projects.

A cumulative flow diagram (CFD) is an analytical tool used in the Kanban method, an Agile project management system. It provides teams with a visualization of the workflow and overall project progress. CFDs help teams monitor workflow stability and better anticipate bottlenecks.

The flow graphic displays how work moves through your process. The horizontal axis (X-axis) displays the time, while the vertical axis (Y-axis) shows the number of work items. Each colored band on the graph corresponds to a specific stage in the workflow. These stages can include:

Cumulative flow diagrams are widely used in software development. They’re also used in other industries, such as transportation, to analyze cycle time, manage work-in-progress (WIP) limits, and increase a team’s throughput.

What does a cumulative flow diagram show?

Cumulative flow diagrams visualize three key metrics. These are:

In this guide:

Benefits of using CFDs.

CFDs provide a better visualization of your workflow, which can help increase workflow efficiency and reduce bottlenecks. Here are some of the main advantages of using CFDs:

Key components of a cumulative flow diagram.

There are four key components of a cumulative flow diagram. These are the time (X-axis), work items (Y-axis), workflow states, and the throughput line. Here’s a little more about them and what role they play in the flow diagram:

How to read a cumulative flow diagram.

Cumulative flow diagram with proposed, active, resolved, and closed project timelines.

Cumulative flow diagrams chart the number of tasks in each stage of your workflow at any given period along the process timeline. Tasks are depicted along the vertical axis, while the horizontal axis shows the process timeline.

The differently colored bands represent the respective stages of your workflow as they appear on the Kanban board. The bands should give you an idea of how many tasks are at each stage of the process at any given time.

The top line of each band shows the point at which each task arrives at the respective stages of your Kanban board, while the bottom line shows when they leave. The distance between the two should be consistent with maintaining a steady workflow.

What to look out for in a cumulative flow diagram.

The “Done” column is at the bottom of the graph, visualizing the work your team delivers in each period. The slope of the band between two points will show your team’s average throughput.

Creating a cumulative flow diagram.

Chart showing the steps to create a cumulative flow diagram.

Creating a cumulative flow diagram doesn’t need to be complicated. Follow these steps to get started:

  1. Define the purpose of the flow diagram. Determine which process you’re analyzing in the CFD. What do you hope to accomplish?
  2. Identify your tasks. You need to identify your tasks in chronological order. You may need to observe the process and review documentation to understand all the steps involved.
  3. Organize tasks. Use flow chart symbols to label functions in the correct shape — for example, diamonds for decisions and arrows to show the flow of work.
  4. Draw your chart. You could do this by hand or use a digital tool like Adobe Workfront.
  5. Check the flow diagram. Walk through the steps with people who regularly participate in the process to ensure its accuracy.
  6. Track work: Use a project management tool to track all work items, like tasks, user stories, or bugs.
  7. Define workflow stages: Clearly define the stages that work items go through in your workflow, such as “To do,” “In progress,” “Review,” and “Done.”
  8. Collect and plot data: Regularly collect data to plot the cumulative flow of work items in each stage over time.

Cumulative flow diagrams in Agile methodologies.

CFDs are increasingly being used to visualize and manage workflow across multiple teams and projects in Agile frameworks — like Kanban, SAFe and LeSS.Cumulative flow diagrams and burndown charts are both used in Agile development, but they serve different purposes. CFDs track the progress of tasks through different stages, while burndown charts track the completion of tasks over time.

Advanced CFD analysis.

In addition to its basic functions, a CFD can be used for more in-depth analysis. Here are some of its more advanced uses:

Types of cumulative flow charts.

CFDs can also be categorized into different types of flowcharts, each with a specific focus. For example:

Other related diagrams that are sometimes considered types of flowcharts include:

When CFDs are used correctly, you should be able to identify the stability of your workflow and any problem areas to address. Correct analysis and monitoring of your cumulative flow diagram will tell you which areas need your attention to maintain continuous process improvement. As such, cumulative flow graphics provide you with the tools to improve the overall productivity and efficiency of your team and projects.

Get started with cumulative flow diagram tools.

There are multiple tools that can help you produce and manage cumulative flow diagrams. These include project management software with built-in CFD functionality, like Workfront. Specialized CFD tools also focus specifically on creating and analyzing CFDs.

When deciding on what tool to use, consider these factors:

Adobe Workfront is a cloud-based work management solution that helps your team plan, track, and manage resources. It supports multiple, including Agile. Workfront centralizes project management and streamlines tasks across departments.

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