The Definition of Done (DoD) is a foundational quality mechanism within the Agile framework, particularly in Scrum. It provides a clear, shared understanding of completeness and functions as a formal commitment to the minimum standards a software increment must meet before it can be considered ready for release. The DoD is a powerful tool for ensuring quality delivery and promoting transparency across the development team, the Product Owner, and stakeholders. Establishing this consistent standard helps mitigate ambiguity and ensures every piece of completed work aligns with the organization’s quality expectations.
Defining the Definition of Done
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It acts as a commitment made by the Developers to the Increment, much like the Sprint Goal is a commitment to the Sprint Backlog. This definition is a mandatory artifact in the Scrum framework that creates transparency by providing a common understanding of what constitutes completed work.
The core purpose of the DoD is to establish a quality gate that all work must pass before it is acknowledged as finished and potentially releasable. When a Product Backlog Item (PBI) satisfies the DoD, it means an Increment of potentially shippable product is born. This quality standard applies universally to the entire Product Increment, ensuring that every completed feature, fix, or change adheres to the same rigorous level of quality. If a PBI fails to meet the DoD, it cannot be presented as “done” at the Sprint Review and must return to the Product Backlog for future consideration.
The DoD transforms the subjective nature of “done” into an objective, measurable state. This reduces rework and technical debt over time. By aligning the team and stakeholders on this single standard, the DoD maximizes the value delivered in each sprint, providing confidence that the product Increment is robust and stable.
Essential Checklist Items for the DoD
A robust Definition of Done translates the conceptual commitment to quality into a tangible checklist of requirements. This list should be detailed and comprehensive, covering all necessary steps to ensure the product Increment is stable, functional, and ready for end-users.
Quality Assurance and Testing
The DoD requires comprehensive testing to validate the functionality and stability of the code. This includes:
- Passing all automated unit tests, which verify the smallest testable parts of an application.
- Successful execution of integration tests, which check how different modules interact.
- Passing all required user acceptance testing (UAT) scenarios to ensure functional requirements are met.
- Executing a full regression test suite with no outstanding critical defects to ensure new code has not broken existing functionality.
Integration and Deployment
The completed code must be successfully integrated into the main product codebase. This often requires passing checks within a continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, which confirms the code compiles and adheres to organizational standards before merging. The DoD also requires the successful deployment of the new Increment to a staging or pre-production environment. This step verifies that the feature functions correctly in a production-like setting, ensuring a smooth transition to the live environment.
Documentation and Review
For an Increment to be complete, the associated knowledge must be captured and shared. This typically involves:
- Updating end-user documentation, such as help files or instructional guides, to reflect new functionality.
- Ensuring technical documentation, including API specifications or system design diagrams, is current.
- Completing a formal peer code review.
- Obtaining a stakeholder review or sign-off, confirming the delivered work meets business expectations.
Security and Performance Checks
Non-functional requirements related to system health are incorporated into a comprehensive DoD. This includes passing automated security scans to identify and remediate common vulnerabilities. Performance testing, such as load or stress testing, must be executed to ensure the system can handle expected user traffic and transaction volumes. Compliance with accessibility standards, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), is often a mandatory item.
How to Establish and Maintain the DoD
The primary responsibility for creating and adhering to the Definition of Done rests with the Development Team. They possess the technical expertise to understand the necessary steps required to transform a PBI into a high-quality Increment. However, the team must incorporate any existing organizational standards, such as mandatory security protocols or regulatory compliance requirements, as a minimum baseline for their DoD.
Establishing the initial DoD is a collaborative effort that occurs early in the product’s lifecycle, ensuring all team members are aligned. Once established, the DoD is not static; it evolves as the team matures and the product grows in complexity. Continuous improvement dictates that the team should strive to make the DoD more stringent over time, adding requirements like higher code coverage or automated performance checks.
The process of maintaining and refining the DoD is a recurring topic during the Sprint Retrospective event. The team uses this meeting to inspect how well the current DoD supported the delivery of the last Increment and to identify areas where quality gaps may have occurred. By regularly reviewing and collectively agreeing on modifications, the team ensures the DoD remains relevant and continues to serve as an effective quality standard for their product.
Distinguishing DoD from Related Agile Concepts
The Definition of Done is frequently confused with other terminology used in Agile practices, specifically Acceptance Criteria (AC) and the Definition of Ready (DoR). Understanding the distinct purpose of each concept is important for maintaining clarity in the development process. The DoD is a universal quality commitment applied to all work, whereas Acceptance Criteria are unique requirements for a single item.
Acceptance Criteria are specific conditions a Product Backlog Item (PBI) must satisfy to meet the needs of the Product Owner and stakeholders. They define the functional behavior of a feature and are written from a user’s perspective, often expressed in a testable format. The Development Team must meet all Acceptance Criteria for a PBI, but this is only one item on the broader, non-negotiable Definition of Done checklist that applies to every PBI.
The Definition of Ready, conversely, is an optional guideline that focuses on the input quality of a PBI before work begins. It is an agreement among the team to ensure a PBI is sufficiently understood, estimated, and devoid of dependencies before being pulled into a sprint. While the DoD serves as a mandatory exit condition, determining when a PBI is complete, the DoR acts as an entrance condition, preventing poorly defined work from disrupting the team’s flow during the Sprint.