How do you use the Definition of Done to assess the quality and value of your Sprint deliverables?

If you are working in an agile team, you probably know the importance of having a clear and shared Definition of Done (DoD) for each user story and task. The DoD is a set of criteria that must be met before a work item can be considered done and potentially shippable. It helps the team to align on the expectations, standards, and quality of the work, and to avoid rework, technical debt, and ambiguity. In this article, we will explore some of the challenges and best practices for defining and applying the DoD in the context of Sprint Planning.

1 Why do you need a DoD?

The DoD is not only a checklist, but also a communication tool and a quality assurance mechanism. It helps the team clarify the scope and acceptance criteria of each work item, ensuring that the work is consistent, complete, and conforms to expectations. The DoD can also verify that the work meets technical, functional, and non-functional requirements, such as performance, security, and usability. It also facilitates collaboration and feedback between developers, testers, product owners, and other stakeholders. Finally, it can measure progress and value of the work, as well as identify any impediments or risks.

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Louis Nyuyse

Driving Your Business To Deliver Incremental Value - Professional Scrum Master(PSM) I Professional Scrum Product Owner(PSPO) I Prompt Engineer I Jira-Confluence Expert I Data Scientist I Wealth Success Coach.
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In my experience, the Definition of Done (DoD) is critical to ensure that the Scrum team delivers high-quality products that meet the expectations of the stakeholders. As a shared understanding of the criteria that must be met for a Product Backlog item to be considered complete, the DoD ensures that the team meets the required quality standards and reduces the risk of defects, deficiencies, and errors. It facilitates communication between teams and stakeholders, clarifies expectations, and increases transparency in the progress of the project. The DoD is a critical element of Scrum that ensures the team delivers high-quality work that meets the expectations of the stakeholders.

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Naga Srilatha Guda S.

Agility Lead @ JPMorgan Chase & Co. | SAFe Scrum Master
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DoD isa very important tool to make sure the product that the team is building is both qualitatively and quantitatively measurable. It is also ensures that the MV P they built is ready to release in the market

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2 How do you create a DoD?

The DoD should be developed and accepted by the entire team, including the product owner and any other important stakeholders. It should be tailored to the team's context, abilities, and objectives, while also being attainable, feasible, and measurable. To create a DoD, one should review the product vision, backlog, and user stories to identify key aspects and requirements of the work. Subsequently, list criteria that must be met for each aspect and requirement - such as coding standards, testing, documentation, review, integration, deployment - prioritize and refine them for clarity, specificity, and verifiability. Additionally, document and communicate the DoD to the team and stakeholders to keep it visible and accessible. Finally, review and update the DoD regularly with any feedback or changes.

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Louis Nyuyse

Driving Your Business To Deliver Incremental Value - Professional Scrum Master(PSM) I Professional Scrum Product Owner(PSPO) I Prompt Engineer I Jira-Confluence Expert I Data Scientist I Wealth Success Coach.
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In my experience, creating the DOD requires critical thinking, foresight, and the ability to enter into the future experience of the customer. You can effectively do it by: 1. Identifying the requirements: The Product Owner and the team should identify the requirements that must be met for a Product Backlog item to be considered complete. 2. Defining quality standards: The team should define the quality standards that must be met for the item to be considered complete. 3. Considering deployment and release requirements: The team should consider the deployment and release requirements - the end goal. 4. Involving stakeholders: The team should involve stakeholders in the process of defining the DoD as beneficiaries of the value produced.

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3 How do you use the DoD in Sprint Planning?

The DoD is a critical component of Sprint Planning, as it helps the team to plan, estimate, and commit to the work that can be done in a Sprint. The DoD can be used to split and refine user stories and tasks, assign and estimate the effort and complexity of each work item, validate and negotiate the scope and priority with the product owner, and commit to the work that can be realistically done within the Sprint timebox. It acts as a reference, baseline, guide, and constraint for the team.

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4 How do you use the DoD in Sprint Execution?

The DoD is also essential in Sprint Execution, as it helps the team to monitor, control, and improve the quality and the value of the work. With the DoD, teams can track and update progress of each work item, verify and validate against criteria, identify and resolve any issues that prevent meeting criteria, and inspect and adapt work based on feedback. Additionally, the DoD can be used as a checklist and indicator, a quality gate and standard, a problem-solving tool and risk mitigation strategy, and a learning and improvement opportunity.

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5 How do you use the DoD in Sprint Review?

The DoD is a vital part of Sprint Review, as it helps the team demonstrate, evaluate, and deliver the work to the stakeholders. It can be used to showcase and explain work items that meet the DoD criteria as a proof and confidence builder. Additionally, it can be used to compare and contrast each work item that does not meet the DoD criteria in order to analyze gaps and enhance transparency. Furthermore, it can be employed as a feedback loop to collect and incorporate suggestions from stakeholders, as well as a way to recognize and motivate the team for their achievements and challenges.

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Bhargava Simha G.

Senior Developer @ Epsilon | CRM, Agile Project Management, PMP,Prince2
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Work within the sprint may be spread across various teams from different domains. The cross collaboration introduces challenges in maintaining project quality. In such cases, DoD serves as a uniform quality standard consisting of various parameters from different domains such as Development, Testing, UI/UX, etc. Various teams can share their inputs in the Definition of Done and the final increment can be checked to ensure it meets a specific level of quality before being termed as "Done".

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you use the Definition of Done to assess the quality and value of your Sprint deliverables?

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1 Why do you need a DoD?

2 How do you create a DoD?

3 How do you use the DoD in Sprint Planning?

4 How do you use the DoD in Sprint Execution?

5 How do you use the DoD in Sprint Review?

6 Here’s what else to consider

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