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In a compelling text image, the question "When is Done really Done?" appears in bold black letters. The word "Done" stands out in a stamped red style—echoing the principles of DoD in agile frameworks.

Understanding the Definition of Done (DoD) – Agile in 2024

By: Hajime Estanislao, PMP, CSM; Editor: Geram Lompon; Reviewer: Dr. Michael J. Shick, MSPM, PMP, CSM

Inconsistent product quality, misaligned expectations, or projects that seem to drag on forever—sound familiar? The root cause of these challenges might be a poorly defined or non-existent Definition of done (DoD). Without a clear, shared understanding of what Done means, your team is likely spinning its wheels, delivering work that does not meet stakeholder expectations and wasting valuable time and resources.

By establishing a clear DoD, you ensure everyone knows what needs to be delivered for a product or code increment to be considered complete and ready for release. Not knowing what needs to be delivered is preventing user stories from progressing. This article will provide you insights about the Definition of Done.

Knowing the acceptance criteria and the definition of done has benefits for your team. The development team will experience fewer misunderstandings, higher productivity, and a stronger sense of accomplishment within every sprint.

Stakeholders will appreciate the consistent quality and reliability of the deliverables. You will move from simply meeting deadlines to delivering products that work.

Do not let your projects suffer from vague definitions and inconsistent outcomes any longer. Explore this article about DoD and see the difference it makes in your Agile projects.

Defining the Definition of Done in Agile

The Definition of Done (DoD) in Agile is a formal and shared agreement within Scrum teams. It specifies the conditions for a product increment to be considered complete and ready for release. The DoD serves as a benchmark to ensure that all aspects of the work, including development and testing, meet the necessary standards before the product is delivered to stakeholders.

The DoD creates transparency by providing documentation and shared understanding among each team member about the expectations for a task to be marked as “done,” thereby minimizing misunderstandings and ensuring consistent product quality across all increments.

Reasons You and the Stakeholders Need to Have a Shared Understanding of the Definition of Done and Acceptance Criteria

A shared understanding of the Definition of Done (DoD) is foundational in Agile teams. It ensures alignment from everyone—the scrum master, developers, product owners, and stakeholders—on what constitutes a completed and releasable product increment.

Misunderstanding can lead to inconsistent product quality, unmet customer expectations, and potentially costly rework. The Definition of Done (DoD) establishes a clear and agreed-upon checklist for the team to deliver high-quality increments meeting stakeholder needs and organizational standards. Below are reasons why DoD is a relevant factor in Agile execution:

Ensures Consistent Quality

The DoD establishes a uniform standard of quality that every product increment must meet, ensuring that team members are working that meet the same high standards.

Reduces Miscommunication

By having a clear, shared definition, the team minimizes the chances of misunderstandings regarding what is required to complete a task or increment.

Aligns Expectations

Stakeholders and Scrum team members understand what “done” means, ensuring that the final product meets the agreed-upon requirements and is ready for release.

Facilitates Efficient Sprint Planning

A well-defined DoD helps in sprint planning by establishing clarity of the criteria that need to be met for each user story, aiding the organization in accurate time and resource estimation.

Supports Continuous Improvement

Regularly revisiting and updating the DoD based on user feedback and project evolution helps the team continuously improve their processes and outcomes.

A team of people is gathered in a modern office, facing a large whiteboard with the text "Definition of Done" and related diagrams. Two individuals are pointing at the board while the others sit and listen attentively, participating in the discussion.

Ensuring Everyone Understands the DoD

Crafting a robust Definition of Done (DoD) in Agile is about creating a clear, shared roadmap that guides your team to deliver high-quality and releasable products.

Defining the DoD ensures that team members and stakeholders are aligned and actively engaged in its continuous refinement. This process transforms the DoD from a static checklist into a dynamic tool that evolves with your project’s needs, enhancing quality and efficiency.

  • Foundation Laying
  • Collaborative Crafting
  • Consensus Building
  • Continuous Calibration

Foundation Laying

Introduce the concept to your team and stakeholders to define your DoD with a solid foundation. Begin by explaining the DoD’s purpose and importance. Then, lay down information on how it serves as a phase gate that ensures every product increment meets the standards before release.

Provide examples relevant to your project to help everyone visualize a well-defined DoD. This step sets the stage for meaningful collaboration, ensuring everyone understands the DoD’s role and impact in the Agile process.

Collaborative Crafting

Collaboratively craft the DoD by gathering input from all team members, including developers, testers, product owners, and other teams or relevant stakeholders.

Facilitate a brainstorming session to identify quality criteria, such as performance metrics, testing requirements, and compliance standards. The collective input ensures that the DoD is comprehensive and mirrors the team’s expertise and the project requirements.

Consensus Building

After crafting the DoD, the next step is to build consensus. It involves reviewing the drafted DoD with the entire team and stakeholders to ensure everyone agrees on what each criterion means and how it is applied.

Openly discuss any concerns or suggestions and be prepared to adjust to the DoD to address these points. Consensus is a cornerstone of the execution because it ensures that the DoD is a shared commitment to quality everyone upholds.

Continuous Calibration

Continuous calibration involves regularly revisiting and refining the DoD as the project evolves. After each sprint, hold a retrospective to evaluate whether the DoD still aligns with the project’s goals and quality expectations.

If necessary, update the DoD to reflect new insights, challenges, or changes in the project scope. This ongoing process ensures that the DoD remains relevant, helping the team maintain high standards throughout the project lifecycle.

A diverse group of professionals are seated around a conference table, engaging in a discussion. A presenter stands near a screen displaying a checklist titled "Establishing Definition of DONE," with tasks such as "Clear Criteria," "Team Alignment," and more checked off.

Key Considerations for Successfully Establishing the Definition of Done for Agile Teams

When establishing the Definition of Done (DoD), recognize that it is a tailored framework that evolves with your project. One consideration is the involvement of relevant stakeholders from the beginning. This ensures that the DoD reflects the team’s needs and perspectives, from development to testing and product management.

Involving everyone in the process builds a shared commitment to quality, making the DoD a living document that guides the project to success.

Another insight is balancing specificity and flexibility in your DoD. While the DoD should be specific enough to provide clear guidance on quality and completeness, it should also be adaptable to accommodate changes in project scope, team composition, or technological advancements. This flexibility allows the DoD to remain relevant throughout the project, ensuring that it continues to support the delivery of high-quality product increments.

Consider the role of continuous feedback and refinement. The DoD should be regularly reviewed and updated based on lessons learned from previous sprints functional tests. This iterative approach helps the team refine their processes and maintain quality, making the DoD an integral part of continuous improvement efforts.

Taking it to the Next Level: Is the DoD the deliverable?

While the Definition of Done (DoD) is a tool for guiding teams in producing high-quality increments, it is necessary to recognize that the DoD itself is not the final deliverable. The true deliverable is the product increment that meets the DoD’s acceptance criteria and the stakeholders’ expectations.

One way to enhance beyond the scope of this DoD is by integrating it with other Agile practices, such as continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). By aligning your DoD with these practices, you can ensure that every feature or product increment is “done” according to the agreed standards and ready for automated testing and deployment. This approach reduces the time to market and increases the frequency of delivering value to customers.

Alternatives to the Definition of Done

While the typical Definition of Done (DoD) is an accepted standard in Agile practices, some teams may find it beneficial to explore alternative approaches depending on their specific project needs or organizational culture.

One such alternative is the Definition of Ready (DoR), which focuses on meeting conditions before moving a product backlog item into development. The DoR can prevent unnecessary delays and inefficiencies by confirming that the team has the information, resources, and understanding needed to begin work, complementing or even replacing the DoD in specific contexts.

Another alternative is using a Continuous Quality Assurance (QA) Process instead of a static DoD. Quality checks and balances are integrated throughout the development cycle rather than assessed at the end of each increment.

The continuous integration of QA ensures that quality is maintained at every step, potentially making a formal DoD unnecessary. This method is particularly effective in environments where rapid development and deployment are priorities.

Some teams opt for a Lean approach that minimizes waste and maximizes value. In this context, the deliverable is refined and improved continuously based on real-time feedback from users and stakeholders rather than adhering to a predefined set of criteria and features.

This approach is more fluid and adaptable, allowing teams to pivot quickly based on feedback, but it requires a mature team with communication and feedback loops.

These alternatives can be valuable depending on your project’s specific requirements and goals in combination with or as a replacement for the traditional DoD approach.

A person in business attire stands by a large window, holding a tablet and gazing at a digital screen displaying a "Definition of Done" chart, which includes outcomes, a checklist, and metrics. The sun is setting, casting a warm glow over a city skyline.

Final Thoughts: Defining Outcomes through the Definition of Done

The Definition of Done (DoD) aligns your Agile team and stakeholders on delivering a complete and high-quality product increment. By establishing a clear, shared understanding of the DoD, teams can ensure consistent quality, reduce miscommunication, and meet the expectations of the product owner and end-users.

Through collaborative crafting, consensus building, and continuous calibration, the DoD becomes an integral part of the Agile process, driving the completion of tasks and the successful delivery of valuable outcomes.

Exploring alternatives like the Definition of Ready, Continuous Quality Assurance, or a Lean approach can offer flexibility and adaptability depending on your project development team’s unique needs.

Whether you adhere to the traditional DoD or opt for an alternative, the goal remains: to ensure that your team delivers a product that meets expectations and is ready for release. By thoughtfully defining and continuously refining your DoD, you can lead your team to success in every sprint and project.

References

Ben Salem, A. (2023, February). What is the Definition of Done? Scrum-Master.org. https://scrum-master.org/en/definition-of-done-dod-everything-you-need-to-know/

Rahate, P. (2021, February). Exploring the difference: Definition of Done vs Acceptance Criteria. Agilemania. https://agilemania.com/definition-of-done-vs-acceptance-criteria

Atlassian. (2024). What is the Definition of Done? Retrieved August 2024, from https://www.atlassian.com/agile/project-management/definition-of-done

Visual Paradigm. (2024). Definition of Done vs Acceptance Criteria. Retrieved August 2024, from https://www.visual-paradigm.com/scrum/definition-of-done-vs-acceptance-criteria/

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Two men are at a counter with a laptop. The man on the left, wearing a dark suit and glasses, is pointing at the laptop screen while the man on the right, wearing an orange shirt and glasses, is smiling and looking at the screen. They appear to be having a discussion.
A group of five people are gathered in a conference room. One person stands at a whiteboard, presenting. Four others are seated around a table, taking notes and engaging. A large screen and various office supplies are in the background.
Two professionals, a man in a blue suit and red tie, and a woman in a light grey outfit, smile confidently in a modern office with large windows and natural light. The atmosphere appears bright and welcoming.
Two women sit closely together at a table, engaged in discussion while looking at a laptop screen. One woman, wearing a headscarf and denim jacket, points at the screen, while the other woman, in a black top, gestures towards the laptop.
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