Which tool should a product owner use to track team progress and scope changes?

The most suitable tool for a product owner to track team progress and scope changes is the burndown bar chart. This chart provides a visual representation of the work completed versus the work remaining in a sprint or project. It allows the product owner to see how quickly the team is progressing towards completing the work, which is crucial in Agile environments like Scrum.

The burndown chart helps in understanding if the team is on track to meet their sprint goals and can highlight any potential scope changes or obstacles that may be impacting progress. By monitoring the trends illustrated in the chart, the product owner can make informed decisions and adjustments as needed to maintain momentum within the team.

Other tools such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and waterfall charts have different focuses. Gantt charts are typically used for project timeline management and may not adequately represent iterative progress. Kanban boards visualize workflow in process but do not explicitly track progress against a timeline or scope changes in a quantitative manner. Waterfall charts are associated with traditional project management methodologies that emphasize sequential phases rather than iterative progress tracking. Therefore, the burndown chart is the most aligned with the Agile principles of transparency and iterative improvement, making it the best choice for tracking team progress and scope changes.