Done - Do you go beyond 'Done' and follow a 'Definition of Done'?
Having a clear Definition of Done for your team is critical to your success and quality management in Scrum.
Every team is different, but all need to agree on which items are in their "Definition of Done".
There are 3 levels of 'Done' in communication
Level 1
- Sending a "Done" email
Level 2
- Sending a "Done" email
- Screenshots
- Code
Level 3
- Sending a "Done" email
- Recording a quick and dirty "Done Video"
- Code (showing a full scenario e.g. a user story)
There are 8 levels of 'Done' in software quality
Start with these examples showing typical "Definitions of Done" from beginner teams to more mature teams:
Team - Level 1
- The code compiles
- All tasks are updated and closed
- No high priority defects/bugs are on that user story
Team - Level 2
- All of the above, plus
- All unit tests passed
- Greater than 1% code coverage (not earth shattering, but you need to start somewhere)
Team - Level 3
- All of the above, plus
- Successful build on the Build Server
- Git Branch Policies
OR
Azure DevOps Check in Policy - Change set Comments Policy (all check-ins must have a comment) - Azure DevOps Check in Policy - Work Items (all check-ins must be associated with a work item)
- Code reviewed by one other team member (e.g. Checked by Bill)
- Sending a Done email with screenshots
Team - Level 4
- All of the above, plus
- All acceptance criteria have been met
- All acceptance criteria have an associated test passing (aka. Automated functional testing with Web Tests (Selenium), Coded UI Tests, or Telerik Tests)
- Tip: Use Microsoft | Azure Test Plans
- Sending a Done email (with video recording using SnagIt)
Figure: Good example - Done video showing the features worked on
Team - Level 5
- All of the above, plus
- Deployed to UAT (ideally using Continuous Deployment)
- Complex code is documented (removing technical debt)
- Product Owner acceptance
Team - Level 6
- All of the above, plus
- Multiple environments automatically tested using Lab Management
Team - Level 7
- All of the above, plus
- Automated Load Testing
- Continuous Deployment
Team - Level 8 (Gold)
- All of the above, plus
- Deployed to Production
Congratulations! You are frequently deploying to production. This is called “Continuous Delivery” and allows you to gather quick feedback from your end users.
You might have everything deployed to production, but it might not yet be visible to the end user. This can be achieved by having “Feature toggles” in place. The actual release of the functionality is a decision that the Product Owner and business takes.
Related Rules
Dones - Do you reply 'Done' and delete the original email? Dones - Do you include useful details in your 'Done' email? Do you have a "Definition of Ready"? Do Your User Stories Include Acceptance Criteria? (aka Never assume automatic Gold Plating) Comments - Do you enforce comments with check-ins? Do you enforce work item association with check-in? Before starting - Do you follow a Test Driven Process?
