SN-Logo NewSN-Logo NewSN-Logo NewSN-Logo New
  • Agile Training
    • Scrum Master
    • Scrum Product Owner
    • Leadership Development
    • Private Workshops
    • Calendar
  • Enterprise Solutions
    • Agile Transformation
    • Unstoppable Program
    • Agile Keynotes
    • Private Workshops
  • Products
    • Personal Agility Book
    • Ten Agile Contracts Book
    • Extreme Manufacturing Explained
  • Blog
  • About
    • Peter B. Stevens
    • Scrum
    • Personal Agility
    • Saat Network
  • Contact
0

CHF0.00

✕
Introducing the Chill Retrospective
Introducing the Chill Retrospective
24-05-2023
Souvenir Photo of the Agile Executives Retreat in Castasegna
Looking for better ways to lead our companies
18-06-2023

Working, Reliable, Valuable: Levels of Done Explained

Published by Peter Stevens on 09-06-2023
Categories
  • infographic
  • scrum
  • scrum infographic
Tags
Levels-of-Done-Explained-RC3 LinkedIn Cover Image

Levels-of-Done-Explained-RC3 LinkedIn Cover Image

Updated: Use this simple checklist to understand and improve your Definition of Done. Reliable, usable, and valuable products are the foundation of success. Start with where you are, then improve from there. And remember, success requires attention to results beyond the end of the sprint.

Levels-of-Done-Explained-RC3
Levels of Done Explained – Click to download RC3 of the PDF

Not Done

Don’t kid yourself. If you hear these, it’s not done.

  • Ninety percent done. As the saying goes, the first 90% of the work, takes the first 90% of the time. The remaining 10% takes the other 90% of the time!
  • It Works on My Machine, as in “It works on my machine, but I have no idea whether it works anywhere else.” Another code word for, “it is not done.” Aim higher.

Working

  • Functional – “validated against our acceptance criteria.” The first step to really done.

Reliable

  • Inspected: The team has reviewed and improved the code to ensure it meets quality standards.
  • Integrated: All components of the product work together.
  • Automated: Repositories and test suites ensure that it still works even after making changes.

Usable

  • Deployment Ready: Whether to deploy is a business decision, not a technical one.
  • Reviewed by Users and Customers. Your first line of defense against building the wrong thing.
  • Deployed: It has been put into service or for sale and can be released to customers or users.

Valuable

  • Usage: Released to customers or users (and you are measuring)..
  • Valuable: Our hypotheses about usage and value generation have been confirmed.
  • Optimized: Often the first step in development is to create a capability. Improvement in ROI, usability, reliability, etc., may require further iteration on the solution

Definition of Done in Scrum

In Scrum, ‘Deployment Ready’ has been the minimum standard for Done in the sprint. Until the 2017 version of the Scrum Guide, Scrum called this “potentially shippable.” This generally entails Working and Reliable, but Scrum leaves it to the Scrum Team to define. The 2020 Guide defines Done as the minimum quality standard. In either case, the idea is that

High performance teams look constantly for better ways to deliver reliable, valuable products to their users and customers.

Deployed vs Released in DevOps

As teams seek to release more frequently, a more nuanced approach to releasing software has emerged. Deployed means the functionality has been installed in a production environment, but it has not necessarily been made available to users. Released means the functionality has been made available to users. The can be a selective process, by using run-time switches or by directing traffic flow to different instances of the system. Both approaches enable a smooth roll-out and easy roll-back if the release turns out to be a bad idea.

Done and the Sprint Review

How done is your software? I believe the conversations in the Sprint Review give a clear indication. Are you mostly discussing…

  • Bugs vs features? – You are having issues at levels 2 through 4, Reliability.
  • Whether features are done in this Sprint? – You have not achieved level 5, Deployable.
  • What changes will be beneficial to product? – You are somewhere around level 7, Deployed.
  • The business value created by recently released features? – You are at least at level 9, Valuable. Maybe this isn’t a Sprint Review any more, but more of a product review.

Achieving a good definition of done

Defy Mediocrity! Harness the full potential of Scrum with the Definition of Done. Download the infographic, then start a conversation! Check the boxes to ensure high quality and high performance. Keep raising the bar and ensure that you really live your Definition of Done.

What is in the Definition of Done in your team? How many boxes can you tick? Where do you pretend to check the box, even though you really don’t? Join the discussion on LinkedIn!

Update: After receiving much constructive feedback on the LinkedIn post, I have updated the infographic. I think I will never call a release “final” again! Each release is merely the basis for further optimization. Here is the original “final” version, which should have been named “RC1”: Full PDF, Checklist, Explanation

Second Update: Now up to RC3 (PDF, JPEG) of the graphic. More feedback, this time centered around DevOps and the definition of Deployed and Released. This lead to insights about team maturity and the Sprint Review. In the article, I clarified the section on Scrum and the Definition of Done, and added the sections of DevOps and the Sprint Review. RC3 of the graphic has improved graphic design (more white space), corrects a typo, and updates the small text to reflect the DevOps approach. It is renamed Levels of Done rather than Definition of Done, to avoid confusion with Scrum’s Definition. Here is RC2 if you still want it!

Thanks to Cliff Berg, Peter Michael Moore, Sky Chin, and especially Robbie Kouwenberg for their insights and support in creating this version!

Share
Peter Stevens
Peter Stevens

Related posts

When is it okay to change Scrum?

When is it okay to change Scrum? Download PDF by clicking on the image.

18-09-2023

Is it okay to change Scrum?


Read more
OKI Backlog - Objectives and Key Impediments

OKI Backlog - Objectives and Key Impediments (click image for PDF)

13-09-2023

Introducing OKIs


Read more
Cheat Sheet: Scrum Events

Cheat Sheet: Scrum Events - Click Image to download PDF

07-09-2023

Cheat Sheet: What happens when in Scrum?


Read more

Comments are closed.

Learn more about Agile

  • Scrum for CEOs October 12&13, 2023
    in Amsterdam
    October 12, 2023 -
    October 13, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

  • Certified Scrum Product Owner | Face-2-Face | English | Oct 26-27, 2023
    in Zürich
    October 26, 2023 -
    October 27, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

  • Certified Scrum Master | Face-2-Face | English | Nov 16-17, 2023
    in Zürich
    November 16, 2023 -
    November 17, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

  • Certified Scrum Product Owner | Face-2-Face | English | Dec 05-06, 2023
    in Zürich
    December 05, 2023 -
    December 06, 2023
    Register Now
  •  

Saat Network GmbH is a small, independent company dedicated to helping you discover and apply the values, principles and practices that will enable you to thrive in the 21st century.

Quick Links

  • What Really Matters – Peter Stevens’ Blog

High Performing Teams

  • Get Stuff Done
  • Get Right Stuff Done
  • Create Alignment
  • Leadership

Free Resources

  • Personal Agility Institute
  • Impressum
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
© 2023 Saat Network GmbH. All Rights Reserved.
0

CHF0.00

✕

Login

Lost your password?

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Read more about our Privacy Policy
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
CookieDurationDescription
mailchimp_landing_site1 monthThe cookie is set by MailChimp to record which page the user first visited.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_42152348_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gcl_au3 monthsProvided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
NID6 monthsNID cookie, set by Google, is used for advertising purposes; to limit the number of times the user sees an ad, to mute unwanted ads, and to measure the effectiveness of ads.
test_cookie15 minutesThe test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
COMPASS1 hourNo description
cookies.jssessionNo description available.
S1 hourNo description available.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo