A Scrum Team has successfully delivered an Increment at the end of a Sprint. The Product Owner is eager to release it to users immediately. However, the organization's release process requires several days of manual testing by a separate QA department before deployment. What does this scenario indicate about the Scrum Team's 'Definition of Done'?
- AThe Definition of Done is incomplete as it doesn't encompass all necessary steps for a releasable product.
- BThe Scrum Team needs to educate the QA department on the benefits of continuous deployment.
- CThe Definition of Done is perfectly fine, but the organization's release process is inefficient.
- DThe Definition of Done should only include technical aspects, not organizational release processes.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. The Definition of Done is incomplete as it doesn't encompass all necessary steps for a releasable product.
If a separate manual testing phase is required post-Sprint before release, then the Increment delivered by the Scrum Team is not truly 'Done' according to the Scrum Guide's definition of a 'potentially releasable' increment. The Definition of Done should ideally include all work required to deliver a usable, releasable Increment, even if it means integrating external organizational processes or influencing them to change.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. While education is part of the Scrum Master's role, the immediate issue is the DoD's scope in defining a truly releasable Increment.
- C. While the organization's process might be inefficient, the DoD must reflect the *actual* state of 'Done' for a releasable product. If it doesn't include necessary steps, it's incomplete.
- D. The DoD encompasses all work required to bring an Increment to a 'releasable' state, which can include non-technical aspects if they are prerequisites for release.
Definition of Done and Releasability
The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. To provide value, the Increment must be usable. Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint.
- A 'Done' Increment is usable and potentially releasable.
- It encompasses all work needed to reach this state.
- If the DoD is insufficient, the Increment may not truly be releasable.
- The DoD helps ensure transparency regarding completeness.
Memory trick: If it's not ready to ship, your 'Done' isn't done enough.