We started this Scrum foundation series explaining we see four underlying concepts of the Scrum framework. In the past series of mails we covered the three pillars of Empiricism, the Scrum Values, and a Self-Managing and Cross-Functional Team.
The concept Done is the fourth of these concepts. It needs a self-managing, and especially a cross-functional team, a team living the Scrum Values, to make it work in a way that it brings the needed transparency with regards to the quality of your solution/product.
👉 A solution (Product/Increment/Service) the team labels as Done, meaning the solution meets the required quality measures, is ready to be released in the hands of the users, in their day-to-day life.
Being Done = meeting the required quality measures = a new Increment exists = a production release is possible.
During each of the Scrum Events, Done should receive the necessary attention and each of the Scrum accountabilities has its role to play.
So how is Done, the Definition of Done important during the entire Sprint?
Remember that the purpose of the Sprint is to build and deliver value.
Combine this with the purpose of the Definition of Done - bringing transparency in the quality measures required for the product, and you can see the importance of the Definition of Done during the entire Sprint.
The Scrum Team commits to achieving its goals. Every action they take is expected to bring them closer to the Sprint Goal, and as such the Product Goal. Without achieving the expected quality levels, the Sprint Goal can never be reached. As such quality - as described in their Definition of Done - is of paramount importance.
Whenever team members start working on a Product Backlog Item, or evaluate if they finish this item, they should evaluate wether or not they met the Definition of Done.
- What regression testing needs to be performed?
- What additional testing is needed?
- Is the needed documentation up-to-date?
- What are the training needs for this update?
- Any data management activities that need to be launched?
- Are we still aligned with organizational standards and policies?
- …
While working on your solution, do you have a checklist beside you to ensure you do not overlook anything? This might prove helpful…
Summary:
During the entire Sprint, the Definition of Done is the commitment the team makes when it comes to the quality of the Increment, of the product. It is expected that quality is a continuous attention point; every second of every day.
Prompt:
Together with your Scrum Team, evaluate how you can improve the use of your Definition of Done during the entire Sprint, day in, day out, to make reaching quality requirements more effective.
I hope you find value in these short posts and if you are looking for more clarifications, feel free to take contact.
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