Concepts
is a shared understanding among the Scrum Team about what it means for work to be complete. This guideline helps the team know how many Product Backlog items they can select during a Sprint Planning meeting, and provides a clear answer to the question: “When is a task truly finished?” Every team member must understand the DoD to ensure transparency, create a focus, and measure the progress of a project. Here are at least five elements of a definition of done that can enhance transparency and create a focus against which progress can be measured.
1. Code Completeness
A key element of the Definition of Done is code completeness. This means that the coding for the task has been fully completed, tested for errors, and is ready for review. Code completeness offers transparency by allowing team members to view and understand the coding process. It allows the progress of a task to be measured in a quantifiable manner – either the coding is complete, or it isn’t.
2. Code Review
Following the completion of coding, the code should be reviewed by another team member before it is considered ‘done’. Code review ensures that the work performs as expected and that any bugs or issues are identified and fixed early. It supports transparency by providing shared understanding and visibility of work done and enhances focus by making clear what needs to be improved.
3. Testing
This includes different testing stages like unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and acceptance testing. Testing should be done in real-world scenarios to ensure the product meets the specifications. This enhances transparency as it reflects the real-world performance of the tasks and increases focus on the areas that may need more improvement.
4. Documentation
Documentation is a very important part of the Definition of Done. It includes the technical details of the task, user manuals, design documents, among others. A well-documented task enhances transparency as anyone can understand the task by going through the document. It offers a measure against which the progress of a task can be tracked and the output evaluated.
5. Deployment
Finally, deployment should be part of the definition of done. It ensures that the task or user story is not only completed but also successfully integrated into the existing system or product. This gives a definite conclusion to the task and allows for real-world experience and feedback from users.
| Elements | Enhances Transparency | Enhances Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Code Completeness | Yes | No |
| Code Review | Yes | Yes |
| Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Documentation | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment | Yes | Yes |
Each of these five elements of the Definition of Done ensures that the increment (set of product backlog items) provides information that enhances transparency and focus. This, in turn, helps to measure progress and improve efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction.
In conclusion, a comprehensive and well-defined Definition of Done is vital for every Scrum team.
It promotes a shared understanding among team members, enhances focus and transparency, and provides a clear standard against which progress can be measured. Always remember to adapt your Definition of Done to fit the needs of your team and project.
Answer the Questions in Comment Section
True/False: A comprehensive definition of done aids in the enhancement of transparency in an increment.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Having a well-defined definition of done ensures that all team members have a clear understanding of what needs to be achieved, thus enhancing transparency.
True/False: The element “accuracy” is part of the definition of done that ensures increments provide information that enhances transparency.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Accuracy is not specifically an element of the definition of done, although it could attribute to other elements like completeness, correctness, and validation.
True/False: Proper documentation is not critical in defining the state of completion for a product increment.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: Proper documentation forms a critical part of the definition of done, as it ensures the increment’s information is captured accurately and can be referred to in the future.
Single Select: Which among the following is not an element of a definition of done?
- a. Validated and verified output
- b. All tests passed
- c. Code review completed
- d. Number of sprints completed
Answer: d. Number of sprints completed
Explanation: The number of sprints completed is not a measure of the completion or success of an increment. Appropriate completion of tasks within the increment is what matters.
Multiple Select: Which of the following elements ensure the increment provides details that enhances transparency?
- a. Validation
- b. Proper Documentation
- c. Peer Review
- d. All of these
Answer: d. All of these
Explanation: Validation ensures the product meets the requirements, proper documentation ensures that the information can be referred to in future, and peer review ensures the code quality, all of these elements enhances the transparency.
True/False: Measuring progress against the definition of done helps in focusing the efforts of the team.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: When a team measures progress against a well-defined set of acceptance criteria, it helps them focus their efforts towards meeting those criteria, thereby managing their progress effectively.
True/False: A good definition of done requires all bugs to be fixed before moving to next sprint.
- True
- False
Answer: True.
Explanation: Although this is largely context dependent, generally, it is considered good practice to have all identified bugs fixed before the increment is considered as done.
Single Select: Which one of the following ensures the increment provides details that enhances focus?
- a. All test passed
- b. Well documented increment
- c. Well defined validation
- d. Team’s morning tea session
Answer: a. All test passed
Explanation: Having all tests passed ensures that the increment is complete and high in quality. It gives a clear direction to the team and keeps them focused.
Multiple Select: Which of the following elements ensure the increment provides transparency?
- a. Clear criteria for acceptance
- b. Validated output
- c. Peer Review
- d. All of these
Answer: d. All of these
Explanation: Clear acceptance criteria, validated outputs, and peer reviews all contribute to the transparency of the project, enhancing the team’s understanding and identification of what to aim for.
True/False: A definition of done that ensures proper accountability does not provide information that enhances transparency.
- True
- False
Answer: False.
Explanation: A definition of done with proper accountability actually enhances transparency by ensuring everyone in the team understands their roles and knows their responsibilities.
Great blog post! The concept of ‘Definition of Done’ is crucial for any Scrum team. Can anyone expand more on the importance of test automation as part of the DoD?
Test automation is essential as it ensures that the product increment is genuinely ‘done’. Without it, you can’t be certain that the changes you made haven’t broken existing functionality.
Agreed. Automated tests help in maintaining consistency in terms of quality and provide quick feedback on new changes.
I really appreciate this post. It helped clarify a lot of my doubts.
Could someone explain how code reviews fit into the Definition of Done?
Code reviews are crucial as part of DoD as they ensure code quality and consistency. They also facilitate knowledge sharing among team members.
Absolutely, code reviews help catch potential issues early and enhance the overall codebase quality.
Thanks for such a detailed post!
One of the key elements of the Definition of Done should be that all user stories meet the acceptance criteria. This ensures that the increment is delivering the value expected by stakeholders.
Yes, ensuring all user stories meet acceptance criteria is fundamental. It ensures that the team delivers what was promised.
Well-written post! It really breaks down the Definition of Done elements effectively.
What about documentation? Should it be part of the Definition of Done?
Documentation should definitely be part of DoD, especially if it aids in the understanding and maintenance of the product. However, it should be just enough to serve the purpose and not become a bottleneck.
I agree with User 13. Documentation helps future maintenance and can be crucial for onboarding new team members.
Thanks for the insights. They’re very helpful!