Definition of Done in Scrum

Scrum is one of the most implemented frameworks among Agile Methodology as it is easy to understand and lightweight. Professionals who have entered the Agile world have to learn about the Scrum values and principles, and the tools and techniques used in the Scrum framework. As the individual learns about making Product Increments through Sprints and delivering value, there are few terms that the Scrum team member has to learn and understand completely. One of these terms which are often used throughout the Sprint process is “Definition of Done”. The term is pretty simple as the basic explanation of the term is that it is the set of criteria that has to be completed by a single User Story so that it is accepted to be adapted during the Product Increment in scurm. For any Sprint to be successful, it is very important for the team to decide a proper Definition of Done, which means that the team has to decide what “done” exactly means. This article gives an insight into the various aspects of the Definition of Done and explains how it is essential for Sprint to become successful.

What is ‘Definition of Done’ in Scrum?

Definition of Done (DoD) in Scrum is defined as the set of criteria and conditions that a User Story has to fulfill so that it is accepted by the customer, user, team, and the stakeholders. A User Story that is formulated by the team and added to the Sprint Backlog should satisfy the Definition of Done so that the quality of the software is excellent. Having a DoD for a User Story prevents the team from reworking on the same User Story and allows them to become time-efficient. Whenever a particular User Story does not meet the Definition of Done, it is not promoted to higher-level environments. Hence, it does not reach the customers or the users. Definition of done includes all of the aspects of the User Story from development, coding, coding review, quality analysis, testing, and deployment. Any User Story which meets the Acceptance Criteria but has not been code reviewed or tested, cannot be incremented in the product. Hence, the Definition of Done is an integral part of Scrum Product Development which helps Sprint to be successful. 

• Any Definition of Done contains four features which the User Story has to fulfill; they are:
• Acceptance criteria: It is a set of statements or guidelines which the User Story has to fulfill so that it could be completed.
• Code review: The codes of the Sprint have to be reviewed such that any error could be detected.
• Testing: All the codes have to be tested before they could be incremented in the product. 
• Immediately Deployed: All the features developed in the Sprint should be immediately deployable and could be integrated into the product. 

Definition of Done is more of a checklist where the team checks the list so that they ensure that everything required for the feature to work is fulfilled. This also ensures that the feature is finished successfully and is potentially shippable. The list of tasks that has to be completed for a User Story depends on various factors such as the nature of the product, tools and technology used, the organization which is developing the product, and the current obstacles that the team is facing to build the product. 

Definition of Done in Scrum Examples

DoD can vary depending on the factors mentioned above, however, the list of the criteria that go into the Definition of Done should be agreed upon by everyone in the team. Scrum Alliance states that there are three types of DoD based on what the team decides the Definition of Done on. The three types are:

• Definition of Done for a Sprint
• Definition of Done for a Release
• Definition of Done for a feature such as Product Backlog item or a User Story.
• As the title of the DoD is obvious, each type of DoD corresponds to what exactly the team is working on. And hence, the checklist of each DoD would be different and specific to what the team is working on. 

Definition of Done could be used as a tool that is used to report the work to other team members and the Product Owner. A simple DoD should at least contain designing, coding, integrating, testing, and documenting which should contribute to making a product that adds value to the user and the customer. An example of DoD would be including many testing techniques in the list where various types such as system testing, platform testing, and performance testing. If any essential type of testing is missed by the tester, the product would not be potentially shippable, for the Sprint as performance testing is not “done” Hence, the feature would not be released as it did not satisfy the Definition of Done. 

What are the tasks present in a Definition of Done in Scrum?

The Definition of Done varies based on the type of it and also depends on the team members and the customers as to what they expect from the product increment. However, a general overview of the things that are involved in the DoD is given below.

1. Design review: The design of the feature is reviewed to find any errors and to see whether it aligns with the User Story. 
2. Coding is done: In this phase, the Developers refactor the code and code in a standard format such that they build an appropriate update based on the needs of the User Story. The code is checked and inspected to check whether it satisfies the criteria of the Definition of Done.
3. The end-user documentation is available 
4. The developed code has to undergo different types of testing such as unit testing, integration testing, regression testing, platform testing, and language testing.
5. All the defects have to be identified and fixed
6. An acceptance testing for the features have to conducted
7. The Product Increment can go live on the production servers

How to create and adopt a DoD in Scrum?

Follow these simple steps to implement a successful Definition of Done in your Sprint team. 

• Design a simple and effective Definition of Done by discussing it with all the members of the team. Make sure that everyone is aware of what is going on in the DoD as they have to create features that would fulfill it at the end of the Sprint.
• Keep the newly formed DoD in a place that is seen by everyone in the team so that it would not be missed by the team members. 
• The DoD should be brought up in meetings as a natural topic so that the progress of the team could be aligned and the work could be reviewed. Also, the team members can predict what they would do next to meet the DoD.
• The first DoD should be designed in a way that everyone would find easy. It should be short and simple so that everyone would celebrate wins when a project starts.
• Make sure that you celebrate every time you meet the DoD and have a successful Sprint as every win matters and new habits could be formed.
• Adjust the DoDs based on the performance of the team, if they cannot complete the tasks try reducing the number of backlog items and if they consistently meet the requirements, the DoD can be raised higher.

Also Check:Who Creates the Definition of Done?

Difference between Acceptance Criteria and Definition of Done in Scrum 

Acceptance criteria are a set of conditions that a Product Backlog item has to satisfy so that it is integrated into the Product Increment at the end of the Sprint. These are the conditions that are set by the Product Owner and these conditions are verified in the acceptance tests. Each Product Backlog item would have a few sets of tasks so that it could function appropriately and fulfill the needs of the User Story. These are guidelines of what the developed feature should satisfy. Every Product Backlog item will have Acceptance Criteria that have to be completed before the Sprint. 

The Definition of Done, on the other hand, is also the list of criteria that the Product Increment has to fulfill. However, in DoD, the product feature should also be code reviewed and tested such that it is immediately deployable. The DoD requires that the team fulfill all the tasks under the Definition of Done in addition to meeting the Acceptance Criteria of the Product Backlog item. The Product Increment developed at the end of the Sprint would consist of all the Product Backlog items completed and checked against the Definition of Done checklist. A Product Backlog item would only be accepted if it meets the item-specific Acceptance Criteria and also the Definition of Done. 

What are the benefits of Definition of Done in Scrum?

There are numerous benefits of having a Definition of Done in a Sprint. A few of them are:

• Responsibilities are transparent: Everyone understands what role they have to play in the Sprint and what roles others are playing. Hence, it prevents team members from performing others’ roles and helps them focus on their own. This way the team members become more predictable and the Product Owners and team members can anticipate what the other person is delivering.
• Commitment to the Sprint becomes realistic: When you have a list of things that are required for the Product Backlog item to be fulfilled, you tend to allot the time accordingly and complete the tasks given in the list. This is also a method of assessing whether you can complete the Sprint and deliver value as promised. This way every person in the Scrum team becomes more reliable and the stakeholders and customers become satisfied with their work.
• The lesser effort taken but delivering higher quality: The workload of other staff members is reduced as the quality of work delivered by the team members becomes higher. Definition of Done may ensure that there are lesser bugs to fix which means the support staff’s workload is reduced. 
• Developing a sustainable pace: As the defects are reduced, the team can focus on creating more value instead of resolving the old bugs. The team can become more predictable and productive such that it grows at a sustainable pace. This helps the team to become more confident so that they deliver more valuable Product Increments. 

What are the common pitfalls while working with DoD in Scrum?

• If the focus of the team is constantly on the DoD, it may prove to be counter-productive as the DoD is designed to reduce the work of the Developers.
• Every User Story or feature may have its own DoD and the general DoD may not apply to that feature. Hence, team members should spend more time forming specific DoD.
• If the DoD is just a shared understanding that was told verbally and stored digitally, nobody is certainly going to remember the DoD. It is always better to display the DoD on the wall or a place that is commonly accessed by everyone so that it reminds them about the criteria to be fulfilled during the product development.
• You cannot expect all your aspirations from a Product Increment to be fulfilled if you list all the things in a particular Definition of Done. This will create more burden on the team members and also most of them would treat it as optional as they do not have sufficient time to finish developing the feature.

Conclusion

In Scrum, the "Definition of Done" serves as a crucial checklist for Scrum teams to ensure the delivery of high-quality value in their products. By adhering to this checklist, teams can effectively reduce the occurrence of bugs, thereby lightening the workload of support teams. It ensures that product features undergo rigorous processes such as code review, testing, and deployment, ultimately resulting in a high-quality end product. Moreover, the "Definition of Done" fosters transparency and productivity within teams, acting as a guiding principle for development activities. Until unanimity is achieved regarding the DoD, Sprint commencement remains pending. Simpliaxis offers Agile training courses that delve into such fundamental concepts, empowering teams to collaborate effectively and enhance productivity through clear development processes.