Contents

Definition Of DoneEdit

Introduction

Definition of Done is a practical standard used in project management and product development to determine when a unit of work is truly complete. It sets clear expectations about quality, scope, and readiness for release, so teams can avoid ambiguity, rework, and creeping scope. By tying work to measurable criteria, organizations create a predictable path from conception to value delivery, which helps leaders allocate capital, manage risk, and hold teams accountable for results.

From a business and governance perspective, a well-crafted Definition of Done aligns incentives with customer value and return on investment. It serves as a common language that bridges developers, testers, product owners, and stakeholders, ensuring that everyone agrees on what “done” means before work begins. When done well, it reduces waste, accelerates reliable delivery, and supports disciplined, priority-driven execution.

Definition of Done

Core concept and purpose

The Definition of Done (DoD) is a formalized checklist that specifies the conditions a product increment must satisfy to be considered complete. In many organizations it sits alongside the concept of acceptance criteria and is closely tied to the lifecycle of a project or product iteration. Key relationships include Agile, Scrum, and the idea of an Increment that can be released or deployed. A typical DoD covers aspects such as functionality, quality, security, documentation, and readiness for deployment.

Core criteria often include: the functionality meets the user story or requirement, automated tests pass, manual validation is complete, code changes have undergone review, the build is deployable, and documentation or release notes are updated.
The DoD is not just about code; it encompasses the end-to-end value flow from feature idea to customer impact, including Quality assurance and Release management considerations.

Criteria and examples

A practical DoD may include a combination of the following criteria, tailored to the risk profile and regulatory environment of the product:

Functionality implemented according to the specification and linked to a user story or business need User story.
All critical unit tests pass; automated integration and performance tests are green.
Code changes have undergone peer review and meet agreed-upon coding standards.
The build is reproducible and artifact-ready for staging or production deployment.
Security checks, privacy considerations, and regulatory requirements are satisfied.
Documentation, including release notes and user guides, is updated to reflect the change.
Acceptance criteria defined by the product owner or customer are met and validated in a representative environment.
Any required non-functional criteria (e.g., reliability, scalability, accessibility) are demonstrated.

In practice, DoD is often described in relation to a specific framework or lifecycle, such as Scrum or Kanban, and may be extended for industry-specific needs (for example, regulated environments or compliance standards). The aim remains consistent: a clear, repeatable threshold that signals readiness for broader use.

Variants and alignment with methodologies

Different teams adapt DoD to their workflow. In a Scrum setup, the Definition of Done is a living contract that guides the creation of an Increment during a sprint and informs when a backlog item is considered complete. In Kanban, DoD supports flow and quality as work advances through stages, with emphasis on reducing bottlenecks and maintaining predictable throughput. In DevOps environments, DoD often expands to include deployment and monitoring readiness, ensuring that a changed artifact can be safely released and observed in production.

In public-facing software, DoD may explicitly require accessibility compliance and privacy protections.
In hardware or safety-critical domains, DoD may embed additional validation steps, traceability, and external certifications.
For startups and lean environments, the DoD is sometimes kept lean to preserve speed, provided the most important risk controls and customer-valued outcomes are covered.

Benefits and governance

A robust DoD improves governance and accountability by:

Providing a clear, shared definition of what constitutes a releasable product increment.
Reducing rework and last-minute surprises by catching gaps early.
Aligning team objectives with customer value and strategic priorities.
Enhancing predictability of delivery timelines and budget planning.
Facilitating audits and quality assurance processes with transparent criteria.

Proponents emphasize that a good DoD does not stifle creativity; instead, it clarifies expectations so teams can innovate within defined boundaries and still deliver reliable outcomes, often improving stakeholder confidence and market responsiveness. See also Product planning, Risk management, and Release practices.

Controversies and debates

From a pragmatic, outcomes-focused vantage point, several tensions commonly arise around Definition of Done:

Over-bureaucratization: Critics worry that an overly long or rigid DoD becomes a gatekeeping mechanism that slows velocity and dampens experimentation. In response, proponents argue that a lean DoD balances essential safeguards with a focus on delivering value, stating that without guardrails, teams risk quality problems and wasted effort.
Misalignment with customer value: If a DoD emphasizes process checks over real customer outcomes, it can lead to “checklist-driven” work that does not translate into user benefits. The constructive counterargument is to structure the DoD around measurable customer impact, not just internal mechanics, and to tie acceptance criteria to tangible value milestones.
Compliance-driven drag in regulated sectors: In highly regulated environments, DoD requirements can expand to include audits, traceability, and formal approvals. While this can slow things, supporters contend that such comprehensive criteria protect users, reduce risk, and prevent expensive post-release fixes.
Perception of bias or ideology in criteria prioritization: Some observers claim that criteria selection reflects a particular organizational or cultural bias. Advocates reply that the DoD should be anchored in objective risk, cost, and value considerations, with periodic reviews to keep it aligned with market and regulatory realities.
Balance with speed and adaptability: A frequent critique is that DoD can discourage rapid iteration. The practical defense is to design DoD to validate only the most critical risks first, enabling fast learning cycles while preserving core quality and compliance requirements.

Practical guidance and implementation

To keep a Definition of Done effective without becoming a burden, organizations often:

Start with a minimal core set of criteria focused on safety, functionality, and release readiness, then expand only as justified by risk or regulatory needs.
Make the DoD explicit and observable, so teams can verify each criterion is met with objective tests or artifacts.
Tie the DoD to real-world outcomes, such as customer value, reliability metrics, and maintenance costs, rather than abstract process steps.
Regularly review and revise the DoD to reflect changing technology, user expectations, and regulatory landscapes.
Separate the Definition of Done from the Definition of Ready to maintain clarity about what work can begin versus what constitutes a complete, releasable increment.
Use automated checks where possible to minimize manual overhead, while preserving human judgment for aspects like UX quality and regulatory compliance.
Encourage ownership of the DoD by cross-functional teams and ensure leadership supports practical, value-focused criteria.