Definition of Done

In the USoft Approach, the Definition of Done is a list of deliverables that you must have prepared before you can close the DEFINE phase and move on to the DELIVER phase of an iteration.

The Definition of Done includes:

•All the specifications that you planned to deliver in the PLAN phase (if any).

•All the implementations that you planned to deliver in the PLAN phase (if any).

•All the delivery activities necessary to test the deliverables in a different environment than in Development.

•All the test activities necessary to prove the quality of these specifications and implementations, including Acceptance Tests in a special Acceptance Test environment.

•All the documentation, work instructions, tutorials and training materials that end users will need to accept the specifications and implementations successfully. Ensuring that these materials are actually used as intended is part of the Acceptance subphase of the DELIVER phase.

•All the technical specifications (in particular, any upgrade scripts for data conversion) that define the delivery path necessary to execute the release. The actual release is performed in the Release subphase of the DELIVER phase.

The Definition of Done is a helpful concept to help you avoid an unbalanced way of working by moving too quickly from the DEFINE phase to the DELIVER phase.