Definition of Done

In any workflow, the most satisfying stage is when work is done. We are ready to share the progress and share that we are done. But what does “Done” mean? Everyone has a different view of what done means for them. You must rely on transparency, inspection, and adaptation as an agile team. Transparency requires courage and trust. The team can only inspect work, progress, and quality when they are transparent. Without inspection, there is no adaptation. These are the core principles of an Agile Team, and the Definition of Done (DoD) is a commitment by the Team to make the Increment transparent. This is where a DoD is crafted. It's a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete. The Team agrees to deliver each Release’s “Done” Increment, and a Product Owner may choose to release it accordingly. The team crafts the list of definitions and evolves in detail in future. Don't worry about perfecting it; it's more important to be realistic. If the meaning of done is so weak that the team can't create a usable increment at least once a release, then improving the DoD should be a high priority. The best time to Inspect & Adapt the existing DoD is the Retrospective meeting. The teams can discuss what was done and how it was done. And if necessary, certain items could be added to the DoD. By adopting these steps and getting everyone’s satisfaction, Done will be Done.