Definition of Done (DoD): What It Means for Your Project
The Definition of Done is a shared checklist that defines exactly what "complete" means for any piece of work. It prevents misunderstandings between what we think is finished and what you expect to receive.
Why DoD Matters
Without a clear DoD, "done" becomes subjective. We might deliver working code that hasn't been tested. You might expect deployed, live features when we only committed to a staging environment. The DoD aligns everyone.
A Typical DoD for Progressive Robot Projects
A delivered feature is only considered "done" when:
- Code is written and reviewed by at least one other engineer
- Unit tests are written and passing (where applicable)
- Feature passes integration testing
- Feature is deployed to the staging environment
- Acceptance criteria are met (verified by your Project Manager)
- No critical or high-severity bugs are open against this feature
- Documentation is updated if the feature affects user-facing behaviour
- Accessibility requirements are checked (WCAG 2.1 AA minimum)
Project-Specific DoD
Your DoD may be tailored based on your project type. For example, a mobile app project may add App Store submission readiness. A regulated healthcare project may add clinical safety sign-off. Your DoD will be documented in the project plan and agreed during kickoff.
DoD vs. Acceptance Criteria
The DoD applies to all features. Acceptance criteria are specific to each individual user story. A feature must meet both its acceptance criteria AND the DoD to be considered complete.