Definition of Ready (DoR)

This post is part of 101 ideas for agile teams.

Context

It is unclear when a product backlog item is ready to be taken into the Sprint for implementation. The planning meeting is ineffective due to long discussions and open questions.

Action

The Scrum team (development team, product owner and scrum master) defines a definition of ready that lists everything that has to be fulfilled so that a product backlog item may be taken into the Sprint planning meeting.

What you gain

A lot less questions and more clarity in the Sprint planning meeting.

Less follow-up clarifications and inquiry calls are needed.

The Sprint planning meeting runs smoother and more efficient.

How to strengthen

Discuss the definition of ready from time to time whether it still reflects the needs of the product owner and the development team.

The whole team makes product backlog items ready during product backlog refinement (collaboration).

As the team gets more and more mature, the definition of ready has to get less restrictive. The team takes on more responsibility.

Risks

The development teams pushes responsibility to the product owner by making a hard to fulfill definition of ready.

Product backlog items are made “perfect” just to fulfill the definition of ready, but without any real value.

Loss of communication due to preparation solemnly by product owner.

More ideas at 101 ideas for agile teams

Many thanks to bbv Software Services for making this blog post possible.