Cycle volatility

The Cycle volatility report measures how much the cycle scope changed after the cycle started. Use this metric to identify scope creep, unplanned interruptions, or issues with cycle locking practices.

Note: Cycle volatility is only available when Linear is connected to DX.

When to use cycle volatility

Cycle volatility answers the question: How much did the scope change mid-cycle?

This report helps teams:

• Identify scope creep — Understand how often new work is being added after cycle planning.
• Spot process issues — High volatility may indicate poor cycle locking discipline or frequent interruptions.
• Explain low predictability — When cycle predictability is low, high volatility is often the cause.

How volatility percentage is calculated

The volatility percentage is calculated as:

Unplanned work ÷ Total work

Where:

• Unplanned work is the story point/issue count for issues added after the cycle started
• Total work is the story point/issue count for all issues in the cycle, whether planned or unplanned

This metric specifically tracks items where planned = false—issues that were added after the cycle start date. Cycle volatility can be calculated based on either story points or issue counts.

Understanding planned vs. unplanned work

How cycle volatility relates to other cycle metrics

Cycle volatility provides context for interpreting cycle completion and cycle predictability:

• High volatility + low predictability — Suggests that scope creep is disrupting the team’s ability to deliver on commitments.
• High volatility + high completion — Indicates the team is absorbing additional work and still closing it out, but may be at risk of burnout or unsustainable pace.
• Low volatility — Suggests strong cycle discipline, making predictability a more reliable measure of planning accuracy.