What do Definition of Ready and Definition of Done mean?

What is the Definition of Ready?

The Definition of Ready (DoR) establishes which criteria a backlog item must meet before it can be included in a sprint. Simply put: a task is "ready" when all necessary information is available for your team to understand and work on it.

In the Product Backlog – the list of all planned tasks in a project – various tasks accumulate. Many of them are initially vaguely formulated or don't contain enough details for concrete implementation. The DoR acts as a filter here and ensures that only well-prepared tasks make their way to the team.

This preparation happens during Product Backlog Refinement (also called Backlog Grooming). In this process, tasks are discussed together, refined, and provided with all necessary details until they meet the "Ready" criteria.

Interestingly, the official Scrum Guide doesn't define a formal Definition of Ready. Instead, it states that Backlog Items are considered "ready for selection" when they can be completed within a sprint. Nevertheless, many teams use a DoR as a practical tool in their daily work.

A typical Definition of Ready might look like this:

• Clear description: The task is formulated comprehensibly and everyone on the team knows what it's about.

• Acceptance criteria: It's clearly defined when the task has been successfully implemented

• Estimation: The team has assessed the effort and knows how much time the implementation will likely require

What is the Definition of Done?

The Definition of Done (DoD) precisely describes the state that an Increment must reach to meet the required quality standards. An Increment is the concrete work result – such as a finished feature, an implemented function, or a completed User Story.

Unlike the DoR, the DoD is officially anchored in the Scrum Guide and is binding for all team members. It creates transparency by establishing a shared understanding within the team of what "done" really means.

The Definition of Done pursues three central goals:

1. Create transparency: Everyone on the team and all stakeholders understand what "Done" means.

2. Ensure quality: Only work that meets all defined standards is considered complete

3. Clarity for releases: Only Done items can be released or presented in the Sprint Review

What happens when a task doesn't meet the DoD? The consequences are clear: it cannot be released or shown in the Sprint Review. Instead, it goes back to the Product Backlog and waits there for further processing.

Many organizations establish a company-wide DoD that all teams must at least comply with. If no such standard definition exists, the Scrum team creates its own. When multiple teams work on the same product, a shared Definition of Done applies to all.

A practical DoD might contain these points:

• Code is tested: All unit tests run successfully

• Documentation is updated: Technical changes are documented

• Code review conducted: At least one other team member has reviewed and approved the code

Differences between ready and done

The two concepts complement each other perfectly but work at completely different times in the development process. Here are the key differences at a glance:

While the DoR ensures that teams don't start with unclear or incomplete tasks, the DoD guarantees that only high-quality work is considered complete. Together, they form a quality framework that enables smooth processes in agile project management.

Why are these definitions important in agile project management?

Imagine your team starts developing a new feature, but nobody knows exactly what they're supposed to build. Or even worse: after weeks of work, the team is still discussing whether the task is really finished. These are exactly the problems that DoR and DoD solve.

The practical benefits show up in daily work:

• Team transparency: Everyone knows exactly when a task is ready to start and when it's considered complete

• Better collaboration: Clear criteria prevent endless discussions and misunderstandings

• Reliable planning: Teams can more realistically assess what's feasible in the next sprint

• Higher quality: The DoD prevents half-finished solutions from being passed off as "done"

• Faster progress: Less rework and corrections because requirements are clear from the start

In the Scrum process, DoR and DoD structure the entire workflow. From planning in Sprint Planning through daily implementation to presentation in the Sprint Review – both definitions provide clear guardrails. Although they're particularly widespread in Scrum, these concepts also work in other agile methods like Kanban or even in more traditional project management approaches.

Who determines DoR and DoD in the team?

The responsibilities for both definitions are clearly distributed, with collaboration among all involved parties being crucial for success.

For the Definition of Ready, Product Owner and development team work hand in hand. The Product Owner ensures that Backlog Items are clearly and comprehensibly formulated. The developers check whether they understand the task and can realistically estimate the effort. Together, they develop the DoR criteria during Product Backlog Refinement.

The Definition of Done lies primarily in the responsibility of the developers. The Scrum Guide explicitly emphasizes their role in quality assurance through adherence to the DoD. Nevertheless, the entire Scrum team – Product Owner, Scrum Master, and developers – develops the definition together. When multiple teams work on the same product, all teams must use the same DoD.

The key to success: Both definitions only work when all team members understand and support them. They're not rules imposed from above, but agreements developed together.

Examples of concrete criteria

Theoretical knowledge is good, but concrete examples make DoR and DoD truly tangible. The following examples show how these definitions can look in practice. Remember: each team adapts the criteria to its specific requirements and working methods.

Example of a Definition of Ready

A User Story is considered "Ready" in many teams when the following points are met:

• Title and description present: The task is clearly formulated (e.g., "As a user, I want to be able to reset my password.")

• Acceptance criteria defined: it's clearly described when the task has been successfully implemented

• Dependencies clarified: all blocking factors are identified and resolved

• Estimation performed: the team has assessed the effort in story points or hours

• Design/mockups available: if needed, visual designs or wireframes are available

• Technical feasibility checked: no open technical questions or uncertainties remain

With these criteria, your team can be confident that the task can be worked on in the sprint without major surprises.

Example of a Definition of Done

A task meets the Definition of Done only when all the following points are checked off:

• Code written and committed: all changes are saved in the version control system (e.g., Git)

• Unit tests created: automated tests cover the new functionality and run successfully

• Code review completed: at least one other team member has reviewed and approved the code

• Integration tests successful: the new function works smoothly with the rest of the system

• Documentation updated: both technical documentation and user manuals are up to date

• Acceptance criteria met: all requirements defined in the User Story are implemented

• No known bugs: critical errors are fixed, minor issues are documented

Only when all points are truly met is the task considered complete and can become part of the Increment.

Tips for introducing DoR and DoD in the team

Introducing DoR and DoD requires patience and the willingness of the entire team. With the following tips, implementation will go smoothly.

Gradual establishment of criteria

Don't try to create the perfect definition from the start. Instead, begin with few but important criteria. In a joint workshop, collect the points that are close to all team members' hearts.

Keep the first version deliberately lean – three to five criteria are completely sufficient. With each sprint, you gather new experiences and can expand or adjust the definitions accordingly. Remember: agile working means continuous improvement, and this also applies to DoR and DoD.

Ensuring team communication

Transparency is the key to success. Discuss both definitions regularly with the entire team, not just in small groups. Sprint Planning offers the perfect framework to check whether all tasks are really "Ready."

In the Sprint Retrospective, you can evaluate together how well DoR and DoD have worked. Document both definitions in a central location that all team members can access at any time – for example, in a project management tool like MeisterTask. This way you avoid misunderstandings and create clear conditions.

Regular review and adjustment

Plan fixed times to review your definitions – about every two to three sprints. Ask the following questions:

• Which criteria have proven themselves?

• Where were there problems despite DoR or DoD?

• Have the project requirements changed?

• Are there new insights from daily work?

Get feedback from everyone involved, including stakeholders outside the development team. Rigid definitions contradict the agile mindset – stay flexible and adapt the criteria to changed conditions.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced teams stumble over typical pitfalls when applying DoR and DoD. If you know these, you can avoid them from the start.

Lack of clarity in criteria

Vaguely formulated criteria are the most common mistake. What does "sufficiently documented" mean? How much is "enough tested"? Such fuzzy formulations lead to different interpretations and endless discussions.

Instead, formulate measurable and verifiable criteria:

• Instead of: "Code is commented"

• Better: "All public methods have a documentation comment"

Discuss exactly what each criterion means in the team and document these agreements. The more precise your definitions, the smoother the collaboration runs.

Underestimated documentation and tests

Many teams focus on pure development and forget documentation and tests. This comes back to haunt them at the latest in the next sprint when bugs appear or new team members can't find their way around.

Tests and documentation belong in the DoD from the beginning. They're not a bothersome obligation but an investment in your project's future. Technical debt from missing tests or documentation will catch up with you sooner or later – usually when you can least afford it.

Missing team commitment

DoR and DoD only work when the entire team stands behind them. If they're imposed by individuals or management, acceptance is lacking. The result: criteria are ignored, circumvented, or only half-heartedly implemented.

Invest time in joint workshops to create the definitions. Every team member should be able to contribute their perspective. This collaborative development creates understanding and commitment – the foundation for successful application in daily work.

Your next step to successful project completion

Definition of Ready and Definition of Done may seem like additional bureaucracy at first glance. In reality, however, they are powerful tools that bring clarity, structure, and quality to your team.

The DoR ensures that you only start with well-prepared tasks. The DoD guarantees that only truly finished work is considered complete. Together, they create a framework in which teams can work effectively and deliver high-quality results.

Start small: develop first, simple versions of both definitions with your team. Use the examples from this article as inspiration, but adapt them to your specific needs.

With a tool like MeisterTask, you can integrate DoR and DoD directly into your workflow. Create checklists for your criteria, document your definitions, and keep track of the status of all tasks. Start your free trial today and experience how clear definitions can noticeably improve your project work.