Definition of Ready – Importance in Agile

Definition of Ready is a set of agreements that let you know when a user story is really done, the team makes explicit and visible the criteria (generally based on the INVEST matrix) that a user story must meet prior to being accepted into the upcoming iteration. The Definition of Ready is a different concept. It is a set of agreements that tells you when something is ready to begin. More correctly, “if something is good to begin”.

The Definition of Ready is not the same as the Definition of Done. The Definition of Done is an agreement between the Developers and the Product Owner on what needs to be completed for each user story so that it can be satisfactorily verified and validated. Read more about DoD (Definition of Done) Vs DoR (Definition of Ready).

Definition of Ready

Reason:

A definition of ready deals with the user story, wherein the user story is ready to be taken into a sprint. It doesn’t need to be “100 % defined” covering all the acceptance criteria. However, it should be “ready enough” only when the team is confident that they can successfully deliver the user story. In other words, “if something is good to begin”.

It will help in saving ample time if each user story meets the definition of ready before the sprint planning meeting. But it is also fine and acceptable to work on the user story during the sprint planning meeting and bring it to the ‘Ready’ status. By pulling unfinished or unrefined user stories into a sprint causes problems during the implementation cycle, as it follows the old principle of “garbage in, garbage out”.

Steps:

The definition of ready has much to contribute to a good user story. It is also very much related to a concept that we have already discussed in the chapter on User Stories. The INVEST matrix.

Importance:

Getting started with poorly understood story can create many roadblocks for scrum team. A story without proper information can lead to rework of work at best, or work which takes the completely wrong direction at worst. It’s so clear that a user story has to meet a set of minimum criteria before it’s ready for inclusion in the work of the next sprint. This set of minimum criteria is the Definition of Ready and, like the Definition of Done, should be agreed upon by the Scrum team. This shared definition then allows the team to reject the stories that don’t have clearly defined acceptance criteria. It will save a lot of time if each user story meets Definition of Ready before the Sprint Planning meeting.

Advantages:

• Measure a backlog item’s “ready” state.
• Help the team identify when the product owner or another team member becomes overwhelmed.
• Keep the team accountable to each other.
• Reduce pressure on the team to commit to estimates before stories are “Ready”.
• Reduce “requirements churn” in development.
• Definition of Ready helps in minimizing the Rework on a user story.

A “ready” backlog item needs to be clear, feasible and testable:

• A user story is clear if all Scrum team members have a shared understanding of what it means. Collaboratively writing user stories, and adding acceptance criteria to the high-priority ones facilitates clarity.
• An item is testable if there is an effective way to determine if the functionality works as expected. Acceptance criteria ensure that each story can be tested.
• A user story is feasible if it can be completed in one sprint, according to the Definition of Done. If this is not achievable, it needs to be broken down further.

Definition of Ready for a user Story

• The story is well-written & defined; and has a minimum of 5 acceptance tests defined.
• The story has been sized to fit the teams’ velocity & sprint length: 1-13 points.
• The team has vetted the story in several grooming sessions—its scope & nature is well understood.
• If required, the story had a research-spike to explore (and refine) its architecture and design implications.
• The team understands how to approach the testing of the stories’ functional and non-functional aspects like performance criteria.
• Any dependencies to other stories and/or teams have been “connected” so that the story is synchronized and deliverable.
• The story aligns with the sprints’ goal and is demonstrable.

Definition of Ready for a Sprint

• Prioritized sprint backlog.
• Defects, user stories and other work the team has committed to are contained in the sprint backlog.
• No hidden work.
• All team members have calculated their individual capacity for the sprint.
• Full-time on project = X hours per day.
• All User Stories meet Definition of Ready.

Sample Definition of Ready (DoR)

• PO and Dev Team need to have talked about the story at least once.
• User Story is clear.
• User Story is testable.
• User Story is feasible.
• User Story defined.
• User Story Acceptance Criteria defined.
• User Story dependencies identified.
• The story must be broken down enough to fit in a single sprint.
• User Story sized by Development Team.
• Scrum Team accepts User Experience artifacts.
• Performance criteria identified, where appropriate.
• Scalability criteria identified, where appropriate.
• Security criteria identified, where appropriate.
• A person who will accept the User Story is identified.
• Team has a good idea of what it will mean to Demo the User Story.

Summary

The DoR is kind of the “DoD for the Product Owner”. It helps the PO to know what to do to a user story before she can hand it to the Development Team in the next sprint planning meeting. In conclusion, a well-defined and consistently applied Definition of Ready is fundamental for Agile teams aiming for efficiency, clarity, and predictability in their development processes. It acts as a proactive tool that empowers teams to navigate challenges, deliver high-quality work, and embrace the Agile values of adaptability and collaboration.

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