The Definition of Done is a Commitment to Quality

Every Scrum Team must explicitly define what “Done” means. Without it, you are not doing Scrum. Let’s be clear: if your product increment cannot be shipped, tested, and validated at least every 30 days, you’re missing the point. Scrum is a social technology for adaptive solutions, and the Definition of Done (DoD) is the core commitment to quality that enables reliable, transparent, and releasable increments.

How Does the Agile Manifesto Relate?

While the Definition of Done is specific to Scrum, its essence connects directly to the values and principles of the Agile Manifesto. The manifesto doesn’t define a DoD explicitly, but it demands working software as the primary measure of progress and calls for continuous attention to technical excellence and good design. These principles implicitly require teams to set and meet clear standards of completeness and quality.

In Agile, “Done” is characterised not by formal documents or bureaucratic sign-offs but by tangible, working outcomes. The focus is on delivering increments of value that are potentially shippable, ensuring continuous feedback, and maintaining sustainable pace. This spirit is what Scrum formalises with its Definition of Done: an explicit, transparent commitment to what quality means, grounded in Agile’s broader ethos of delivering working software and embracing change.

Why Define Done?

The Definition of Done is not optional. It is the shared understanding that tells everyone — Developers, Product Owner, stakeholders — what quality bar each increment must meet to be considered usable, releasable, and valuable. Without it, you deliver chaos disguised as agility.

If your organisation has no defined standards, your team must create its own. But let’s be blunt: if you have multiple teams on one product, they must align on a shared Definition of Done. No excuses, no fragmentation. Without this alignment, you jeopardise integration, delivery, and the product’s reputation.

“The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review.” — Scrum Guide 2020

Done Means Releasable

Done is not about user stories, requirements, or business value. It is about whether the increment is in a state that the Product Owner can say, “Yes, let’s ship it.” No hidden work, no deferred testing, no “we’ll fix it later.”

A robust Definition of Done ensures:

• Transparency on what’s been completed.
• Predictability in delivery.
• Shared accountability for quality.
• Protection of the product’s and organisation’s reputation.

Start with a Seed, Grow It Over Time

Your DoD does not need to be perfect on day one, but you do need to start. Run a facilitated DoD workshop. Involve the Scrum Team, relevant stakeholders, and anyone representing critical gates like security, architecture, UX, and compliance. Define what “Done” looks like across four layers:

1. Organisational DoD – minimum standards to protect reputation and compliance.
2. Practice DoD – engineering or discipline-specific standards (e.g., security, performance).
3. Customer DoD – any client-specific requirements.
4. Team DoD – additional agreements the team needs to deliver quality.

Without this clarity, you’re not managing risk; you’re just rolling dice.

Characteristics of a Strong Definition of Done

• Short, measurable checklist — automate verification wherever possible.
• Mirrors shippable — the Product Owner should have the option to ship at the Sprint Review (if not doing continuous delivery).
• No further work required — if additional work is needed, you weren’t Done.

This is not subjective. “Approved by the Product Owner” is not a DoD item. The DoD is an objective, verifiable standard.

Examples of DoD Items

Here’s what good engineering practices might embed:

• Code passes automated quality checks (e.g., SonarQube) with no new critical issues.
• Unit, integration, and acceptance tests are automated and pass.
• Security scans run in CI/CD pipelines and show no high-severity vulnerabilities.
• Documentation is updated and linked to the increment.
• Code reviews or pair/mob programming sessions completed.
• Automated deployment pipelines confirm repeatable, error-free delivery.

Continuous Reflection and Improvement

Your DoD is not static. You must review and improve it continuously — at least every Sprint Retrospective. When you uncover new failure points, you integrate them into your DoD.

If your increment no longer meets the quality bar, stop Sprinting. Fix the foundation first — that’s called a Scrumble. It’s a deliberate pause to repair quality, not a failure. Once resolved, your DoD should evolve to prevent recurrence.

Practical Steps

1. Run a DoD Workshop — include Developers, Product Owner, stakeholders, and relevant experts.
2. Document and Share — make the DoD visible, accessible, and owned by the team.
3. Automate — reduce human error by automating checks wherever feasible.
4. Review Regularly — build DoD reviews into retrospectives.

Final Word

The Definition of Done is not bureaucracy. It’s the backbone of your Scrum implementation. Without it, you don’t have empirical process control; you have chaos. Without it, you can’t deliver continuous value; you deliver continuous risk.

Professional Scrum Teams are accountable for quality. Own it. Define it. Evolve it.

Always ask: “Would you be happy to release this increment to production and support it? You are on call tonight.” If the answer is no, it’s not Done.