---
title: "Iteration volatility"
canonical_url: "https://docs.getdx.com/reports/iteration-volatility/"
md_url: "https://docs.getdx.com/reports/iteration-volatility.md"
last_updated: "2026-06-08"
---

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

> Note: Iteration completion is only available when Azure DevOps is connected to DX.

![Iteration volatility report in DX](https://docs.getdx.com/assets/images/reports/iteration-volatility.png)

## When to use iteration volatility

Iteration volatility answers the question: _How much did the scope change mid-iteration?_

This report helps teams:

- **Identify scope creep** — Understand how often new work is being added after iteration planning.
- **Spot process issues** — High volatility may indicate poor iteration locking discipline or frequent interruptions.
- **Explain low predictability** — When [iteration predictability](https://docs.getdx.com/reports/iteration-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/work item count for work items added after the iteration started
- **Total work** is the story point/work item count for all work items in the iteration, whether planned or unplanned

This metric specifically tracks items where `planned = false`—work items that were added after the iteration start date. Iteration volatility can be calculated based on either story points or work item counts.

In ADO, iterations can be nested, with work items spanning multiple levels of a tree. DX only reports on “leaf node” iterations—iterations that do not have any children or sub-iterations.

## Understanding planned vs. unplanned work

| Term                 | Definition                                                                                               |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Planned points**   | Story points for work items that existed in the iteration at the iteration start time                    |
| **Unplanned points** | Story points for work items added after the iteration started                                            |
| **Completed points** | Story points for all work items marked complete during the iteration, regardless of when they were added |

## How iteration volatility relates to other iteration metrics

Iteration volatility provides context for interpreting [iteration completion](https://docs.getdx.com/reports/iteration-completion/) and [iteration predictability](https://docs.getdx.com/reports/iteration-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 iteration discipline, making predictability a more reliable measure of planning accuracy.
---

## Sitemap

[Overview of all docs pages](/llms.txt)