Embracing Agile Principles: The Power of a Definition of Done
In today’s fast-paced world, product development teams must adapt quickly to stay ahead. To achieve this, organizations must adopt agile principles from top to bottom. A key component of agile product development is the definition of done (DoD), a shared understanding of what it means for a user story, epic, or theme to be considered complete.
What is a Definition of Done?
A DoD is a checklist that clearly states when a user story, epic, or theme is considered accomplished. It creates transparency by providing everyone with a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the DoD, it cannot be released or presented at the Sprint Review.
The Purpose of a Definition of Done
The primary purpose of a DoD is to build consensus and allocate accountability to ensure that the team delivers quality products consistently. A clear DoD is crucial for execution, planning, and estimation across all levels of the product organization.
Why is a Definition of Done Important?
A DoD follows and implements core agile principles in product development, including:
- Transparency: Creating a clear understanding across the organization promotes transparency and avoids unnecessary conflict.
- Learning: Continuous evaluation enables thorough oversight before releasing a product to end-users.
- Iteration: Delivering features quickly with appropriate quality assurance fosters confidence within product development teams.
Examples of Definitions of Done
A DoD can be applied at various levels, including:
- User Stories: A user story is considered done when all acceptance criteria are met, and the product owner reviews and accepts the user story.
- Features/Epics: A feature or epic is considered done when it meets all criteria and fulfills user needs.
- Themes/Initiatives: A theme or initiative is considered done when it meets market needs, target architecture design is accomplished, and all MVPs are released to production and evaluated.
Who Creates a Definition of Done?
The creation of a DoD involves collaboration between team members, including:
- Scrum Team: The scrum team defines and maintains the DoD for user stories.
- Product Manager: The product manager creates a checklist for features/epics and ensures that all items are executed.
- Portfolio Management Team: The portfolio management team creates a DoD for themes/initiatives.
Definition of Done vs. Definition of Ready
While a DoD ensures consistency and quality deliverables, a definition of ready (DoR) aids with efficiency and avoids confusion at the beginning of a new development project.
Conclusion
A DoD helps product leaders create a shared understanding and avoid misinterpretation throughout the product lifecycle. By embracing agile principles, product teams can ensure quality, fast-paced delivery, and consistency. A DoD is applicable at all levels of product management, providing transparency and clear direction for the entire product organization.