Definition of Done (DoD)
The Definition of Done (DoD) is a shared understanding within an Agile team of what it means for a piece of work to be considered complete. It sets the quality standards that the product must meet to ensure consistency, reliability, and maintainability. The DoD helps avoid misunderstandings about what needs to be done for an item to be marked as complete, ensuring that all work is thoroughly finished and meets predetermined criteria.
Key Characteristics of Definition of Done: #
1. Clarity: Provides clear guidelines on what needs to be completed for a user story, task, or feature to be considered done.
2. Consistency: Ensures that all team members understand and apply the same criteria for completeness.
3. Quality: Helps maintain high-quality standards for the product.
4. Transparency: Increases transparency within the team and with stakeholders about the state of the work.
Components of Definition of Done: #
1. Code Review: Ensures that all code changes have been reviewed by another team member.
2. Testing: Includes unit tests, integration tests, and user acceptance tests.
3. Documentation: Ensures that any necessary documentation, such as API docs or user manuals, is updated.
4. Integration: Confirms that the code is integrated into the main codebase and that all tests pass.
5. Deployment: Ensures that the feature can be deployed to a staging or production environment.
6. Acceptance Criteria: Verifies that all acceptance criteria for the user story or task have been met.
Example of a Definition of Done: #
Let’s consider the example of an e-commerce website. Here’s a sample Definition of Done for a user story related to implementing a user registration feature.
User Story: #
As a customer, I want to register an account so that I can make purchases.
Acceptance Criteria: #
– The registration form includes fields for name, email, password, and phone number.
– The system sends a confirmation email after registration.
Sample Definition of Done for the User Registration Feature: #
1. Code Review:
– All code changes have been reviewed by at least one other team member.
2. Testing:
– Unit tests cover all new functionality with at least 90% code coverage.
– Integration tests ensure that the registration process works end-to-end.
– User acceptance tests confirm that the registration process meets user needs and acceptance criteria.
3. Documentation:
– API documentation for the registration endpoint is updated.
– User documentation is updated to include instructions for registering an account.
3. Integration:
– The new code is merged into the main branch without conflicts.
– All automated tests pass in the continuous integration pipeline.
4. Deployment:
– The feature is deployed to a staging environment.
– Manual tests in the staging environment confirm that the feature works as expected.
5. Acceptance Criteria:
– All acceptance criteria for the user story are met, including form fields and email confirmation.
Example of a Completed Task with Definition of Done: #
Task: Implement Backend API for User Registration #
Definition of Done:
1. Code Review:
– Peer review is completed, and feedback is addressed.
2. Testing:
– Unit tests for API endpoints are written and passing.
– Integration tests for the registration workflow are passing.
3. Documentation:
– API documentation is updated to reflect new endpoints and request/response formats.
4. Integration:
– Changes are merged into the main branch and verified that all CI tests pass.
5. Deployment:
– API changes are deployed to the staging environment.
– Manual tests confirm the registration process works in staging.
6, Acceptance Criteria:
– All specified acceptance criteria for the registration feature are met.
Benefits of a Well-Defined DoD: #
1. Quality Assurance: Ensures high-quality standards are consistently met.
2. Predictability: Provides a clear understanding of what to expect when a feature is marked as done.
3. Transparency: Makes it clear to stakeholders what criteria have been met for completed work.
4. Continuous Improvement: Encourages teams to refine and improve their DoD over time to raise quality standards.
Conclusion #
The Definition of Done is a crucial component of Agile project management that helps ensure the quality and completeness of work. By setting clear criteria for when work is considered done, teams can maintain high standards, foster transparency, and deliver reliable, high-quality products. The sample DoD for the user registration feature illustrates how detailed and comprehensive these criteria can be, covering all aspects from code review to deployment.
