About Definition of done (DoD)?
In the context of Agile development, "DoD" stands for "Definition of Done". It is a set of criteria that a product increment must meet for the team to consider it complete and ready for customers¹. It's a shared understanding among the team members about when a product increment is ready for release¹.
The DoD is created by the entire project team, including developers, testers, product owners, and other stakeholders¹. This ensures a smoother process during sprints since everyone is using the DoD as a guide alongside any checklists before marking an item as complete¹.
The DoD for a project varies depending on the type of project and the team involved¹. For example, on a mobile app development project, the DoD may include criteria like all images are compressed, and all code is minified and gzipped¹. On a software development project, the DoD could include criteria like all code has been thoroughly tested via unit, integration, and end-to-end tests¹.
It's important to note that the DoD is different from the Definition of Ready (DoR). The DoD is a set of high-level criteria that defines when a product increment is complete, while the DoR is a set of low-level and specific criteria that applies only to product backlog items¹.
Having a clear DoD is vital to delivering a quality product because it clarifies when an item can be marked complete and is ready to be included in a product increment¹.
- What is the Definition of Done? Understanding DOD in Agile - Atlassian
- What is the definition of done? Guide for agile teams with examples
- The Definition of Done in Agile: Find Success with a Proper DoD
- What is the Definition of Done in Agile? - Invensis Learning
- Definition of Done | Agile Alliance
Why the DOD is needed to be defined?
The Definition of Done (DoD) is crucial in Agile development for several reasons:
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Transparency: It provides a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the increment¹². This transparency helps to avoid misunderstandings and miscommunications among team members and stakeholders¹².
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Efficiency: A clear DoD allows Agile teams, including DevOps and Scrum teams, to complete their items more efficiently¹. It serves as a guide, clarifying the work the team needs to complete³.
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Quality Assurance: The DoD ensures the quality and consistency of a deliverable¹. It acts as a checklist that the team uses at the end of a sprint when checking the quality of a product increment¹.
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Minimizing Rework: By clearly defining what “done” means to the project, an Agile team can focus on delivering value with every sprint and minimizing rework¹.
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Accountability: The DoD helps to allocate accountability to the appropriate stations so that the team can deliver quality products consistently².
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Planning and Estimation: A clear definition of done is crucial not only for execution, but also for planning and estimation across all levels in the product organization².
In summary, having a DoD is vital to delivering a quality product that customers want because it clarifies when an item can be marked complete and is ready to be included in a product increment¹.
Examples of DoD definitions
Sure, here are some examples of Definition of Done (DoD) at different levels of a project¹²:
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User Stories (Scrum Team):
- Code is written according to coding standards.
- Code is reviewed and approved by peers.
- Unit tests are written and pass.
- Integration tests are written and pass.
- Code is checked into the version control system.
- User story is documented and added to the product backlog.
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Mobile App Development Project:
- All images are compressed².
- All code is minified and gzipped².
- App is tested on all targeted devices.
- App is user-friendly and meets UX design requirements.
- App is approved by the product owner.
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Software Development Project:
- All code has been thoroughly tested via unit, integration, and end-to-end tests².
- Product increment has been deployed to a staging environment and tested by the team².
- All bugs identified have been fixed.
- Documentation for the code is complete.
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Generic Project:
- All errors have been resolved².
- All release documentation has been written and edited².
- The project meets all the requirements specified in the project scope.
- The project is approved by the project manager and the client.
Remember, these are just examples. The actual DoD can vary depending on the type of project and the team involved¹². It's important to create a DoD that fits your team's needs and project goals¹².