Cycle time and Lead Time chart

Hi @SB ,

If a work item was already closed in February, you’d expect it to contribute the same Cycle Time / Lead Time numbers no matter which month you select in the chart.

In Azure DevOps lead time and cycle time widgets:

• Lead time = elapsed time from when the work item is created until it reaches Completed
• Cycle time = elapsed time from when the work item first enters In Progress until it reaches Completed

And the widgets plot completed work items with:

• X-axis = completion date
• Y-axis = lead time or cycle time in days
• Summary like Average days is computed from all completed work items within the chart’s selected time period

So when you change the chart’s date (for example, selecting 01/02/2026 vs 01/06/2026), you’re effectively changing the time window of completed work items included in the calculations, which can change the average (and which individual completed items fall into that range).

A few common reasons why values can change even after work items are closed:

1. The month/date you select changes the included set
   • Even if the work items themselves are already completed, changing the chart time period can change whether those completed items are included in the scatter points and the average.
2. The widget is based on the completion date filter
   • Since the X-axis is completion date, any filter tied to that period will include/exclude work items depending on when they were completed (not when they were created or started).
3. Your “time period” vs “start date” setting affects which items qualify

• You appear to be using a Start date selection (with “Time period” set to something like rolling days or similar).
• If the chart is “rolling” (or uses a date range), shifting the start date can alter the underlying dataset used for the computed average and trend line.

Select/hover the dots in the chart:

• The widget supports hover/selection so you can see which work items make up a data point.
• Compare the work items included when the chart is set to 01/06/2026 vs 1/02/2026you’ll likely see the set of included completed work items changes, even if the same stories are “already closed.”

Hope this helps!

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Analytics widgets for Lead Time and Cycle Time are not “snapshots.” They are recalculated dynamically every time you open the chart, based on the current analytics data model and the filters you selected.

So if you originally captured February metrics in March, then later reopen the same report using a start date of 01/02/2026, the numbers can change. This is expected behavior.

Common reasons include:

• Work items were edited after closure (state changes, dates corrected, backlog category changed, etc.).
• Items were moved between iterations or teams.
• Historical analytics data was reprocessed by ADO.
• The widget recalculates using the current workflow configuration, not the exact historical snapshot you saw at the time.
• Changes to board columns or state mappings can alter Cycle Time calculations retroactively.

Another important point: the “Start date” filter does not mean “show only items closed in that month.” It means “calculate metrics for items completed after this date.” So selecting 01/02/2026 today may include a different rolling data set than when you originally viewed it.

For stable month-end reporting, many teams export and store the metrics monthly (CSV/Excel/Power BI snapshot) rather than relying on the live widget later. Azure DevOps widgets are designed more for operational trends than immutable historical reporting.

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hth

Marcin