Software Development
Definition of Done
Definition
The Definition of Done (DoD) is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. It is a shared understanding of what it means for work to be complete.
Why It Matters
The DoD ensures that every piece of work delivered by the team meets a consistent level of quality. It prevents misunderstandings about what "done" means and helps ensure that only high-quality, fully tested software is delivered.
Contextual Example
A team's Definition of Done might include: "Code is peer-reviewed," "Unit tests are written and passing," "Integration tests pass," "Code is deployed to the staging environment," and "Product Owner has approved the feature."
Common Misunderstandings
- The DoD applies to all user stories in a sprint. It is a quality checklist.
- It is different from acceptance criteria, which are specific to a single user story.