OTIS – or: how to create a DoD!

The Definition of Done, short: DoD, is an important element in Scrum, to be precise: it’s a commitment regarding the Increment and it describes the quality included.

Every Scrum Team needs to define their DoD at the beginning of their journey and make it stronger and stronger throughout their development initiative. As a reminder how to create the initial version of the DoD I introduce the acronym OTIS.
O – ________
T – ________
I – _________
S – _________

What is your idea what the letters stand for? Take a moment for your own thoughts before you read the answer!

O – Organization

Does your organization have have standards for the Definition of Done? Then these must be followed as a minimum. 

T – other Teams

There are 2 aspects to look out for other teams and their DoD:

1) if multiple teams work on the same product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done. So, as a Scrum Master you will organize this. 

2) if there are no other teams working on the same product, it might still be useful to look at other teams‘ DoD in your organization because the environment might be the same or similar: same business, same platforms, same customers, …

Look at them and discuss them what is useful to copy for your product. 

 I – Inspiration & Ideas

Be inspired and collect ideas of useful aspects in your DoD: from former experiences, from the internet,… ask your Developers to gather ideas. 

Then you facilitate a…

S – Session!

The entire Scrum Team (perhaps together with other teams) collaboratively generate a Definition of Done. And a plan how to improve it further.  

OTIS tells you how to create a DoD!