In 2025, over 94% of organizations report using Agile practices to manage their projects (Digital.ai, 2025 State of Agile Report). Yet, despite this widespread adoption, many teams still stumble on one deceptively simple question — “When is work truly ready to start, and when is it really done?” That single gap in understanding often leads to sprint chaos, endless revisions, and unmet release deadlines. In fact, a survey (2025) found that unclear completion criteria and vague backlog readiness are among the top three causes of sprint failure in modern Scrum teams.
That’s where the Definition of Ready Vs Definition of Done becomes critical. These two agile agreements act like the guardrails of a high-speed project highway — one ensures every work item enters development fully prepared, while the other guarantees it leaves development completely finished. In the sections ahead, we’ll explore what each definition means, how they differ, and why mastering both can dramatically improve your team’s agility, accountability, and success in 2025 and beyond.
What Is the Definition of Done (DoD)?
In Scrum, the Definition of Done (DoD) is a formal commitment that describes when a product increment is considered truly complete. It ensures quality, consistency, and that no critical step is skipped before release.
As Atlassian explains, the DoD is a shared understanding among the team of the criteria that a product increment must meet before it is “done” and potentially ready for customers.
Typical checklist items in a DoD may include (depending on team context):
Code has passed unit, integration, and end-to-end tests
Peer code reviews completed
No known defects or critical bugs
Documentation updated (user docs, release notes)
Increment integrated and tested in staging/QA environment
Other non-functional requirements (performance, security)
A systematic literature review found that across many agile projects, researchers identified 62 different criteria for DoD (across story, sprint, and release levels) in software projects.
In practice, the DoD must be visible, understood by all (developers, testers, product owners, stakeholders), and regularly inspected and adapted as the team matures. While concrete “DoD vs DoR” case studies with exact metrics are rare in the public domain, the survey “On the Benefits and Problems Related to Using Definition of Done” (137 practitioners globally) found:
93% of respondents consider DoD “at least valuable” in their projects (helps make items complete, assures quality, etc.).
However, about half of the projects reported infeasible, creeping, or incorrect DoDs as a challenge.
This shows: almost every team sees value in DoD, but many struggle with implementing it well.
What Is the Definition of Ready (DoR)?
Unlike DoD, the Definition of Ready (DoR) is not part of the official Scrum Guide. It is an optional team practice to clarify when a Product Backlog Item (PBI) is sufficiently prepared to enter a sprint.
The Scrum Alliance describes the DoR as a set of criteria that a backlog item must satisfy before the team can reliably commit to it.
Typical DoR criteria may include:
The PBI is clearly described and understood by the team
Acceptance criteria are defined and testable
Dependencies resolved or identified
Stakeholders or SMEs consulted, and alignment obtained
Estimation possible, team capacity considered
Other enabling assets (design, data, assets) are ready
In Agile literature, DoR helps prevent bringing fuzzy or ill-defined items into sprints, which might otherwise cause mid-sprint surprises or refactoring. A blog post by Boost explains: “The definition of ready covers the requirements coming into the sprint; the definition of done covers the product coming out of the sprint.” As a warning, overly strict DoR criteria can become gatekeeping and cause delays—teams must balance rigor with agility.
Key Differences: Definition of Ready Vs Definition of Done
To see clearly how the Definition of Ready Vs Definition of Done differ, here’s a side-by-side comparison:
Aspect | Definition of Ready | Definition of Done |
When it applies | Before a backlog item enters the sprint | At the end of the sprint / before the increment is released |
Purpose | Ensures the team has all the information & preconditions to start work | Ensures work meets quality, completeness, and is shippable |
Formal status in Scrum | Optional / not mandated | Mandatory / part of Scrum commitments |
Ownership/input | Product Owner, team, stakeholders | Full scrum team including testers, PO, devs |
Risk mitigation | Prevents ambiguous or blocked work from entering the sprint | Prevents incomplete or low-quality increments from being accepted |
Flexibility | Should be minimal, evolving with team maturity | Should evolve but maintain consistency for quality |
Also, Scrum.org states that while only DoD is required by Scrum, some teams use DoR to improve transparency and workflow. In many real team discussions, you’ll hear phrases like “Done or Ready?”, “Ready or Done?”, or “Difference between Done and Ready” as teams try to decide when to bring items in vs. when to call them complete.
Benefits & Challenges of Using DoR and DoD
When implemented correctly, the Definition of Ready (DoR) and Definition of Done (DoD) act as twin guardrails that bring structure, clarity, and confidence to agile delivery.
However, when misunderstood or applied rigidly, they can slow progress and create unnecessary friction.
Here’s a balanced comparison of the advantages and risks every agile team should consider:
Pros | Cons |
Clarity and Alignment — Everyone knows exactly what “ready” and “done” mean, reducing confusion and miscommunication across roles. | Overly Rigid DoR — If the readiness criteria become too detailed, teams might spend excessive time preparing instead of delivering value. |
Reduced Rework — Well-defined DoR ensures fewer surprises mid-sprint since only properly prepared work enters the sprint backlog. | Definition Creep in DoD — Teams sometimes add endless checklist items, turning “done” into an unachievable standard that slows releases. |
Predictability — Clear readiness and completion gates improve sprint forecasting, capacity planning, and stakeholder confidence. | Infeasible Definitions — According to a 2022–2025 DoD survey, around 50% of teams report challenges with infeasible or creeping DoDs. |
Quality Assurance — The DoD ensures that no critical steps—testing, peer review, documentation—are skipped, maintaining product integrity. | Neglect of Context — Rigid rules may prevent teams from adapting to exceptional cases or urgent work. |
Continuous Improvement — Definitions evolve through retrospectives, improving maturity and collaboration over time. | Maintenance Overhead — Updating DoR and DoD regularly requires discipline, and many teams neglect this process as they scale. |
As the survey “On the Benefits and Problems Related to Using Definition of Done” concludes, DoD is widely valued but often challenging to maintain in practice.
Real-World Case Studies: Done and Ready in Action
Because empirical case studies that publish both DoR and DoD details are rare, I’ll draw on broader published agile and behavioral case studies and adapt insights.
Case Study 1: FinTech Organization—Behavioral Aspects in Agile
A behavioral study in a large fintech firm found that incomplete or ambiguous stories often created tension and rework in sprints.They adopted more rigorous refinement practices (i.e., stronger DoR) to reduce mid-sprint uncertainty. Over time, this improved team morale and delivery consistency.
Case Study 2: Agile Project Management in a Software Organization
In one published case of agile project management in software, teams that clearly defined exit criteria (DoD) and engaged in backlog refinement to ensure clarity (DoR) saw fewer roll-overs of stories across sprints.
Case Study 3: Systematic Review Findings
In the systematic review on Definition of Done, researchers observed that some teams maintain multi-level DoDs (story, sprint, release) to adapt their “done” criteria across scopes. This helped large organizations scale consistency across teams.
Case Study 4: Agile & UX Integration
In a software development & UX case study, when backlog items lacked clarity (i.e., not meeting a good “ready” state), teams encountered frequent design–development misalignments. This required rework and lowered velocity. When teams defined better readiness gates (e.g., designs approved, acceptance criteria clear), collaboration smoothed out.
These cases underscore that Done and Ready definitions are most effective when they are tailored, evolving, and supported by team practices and behavior.
How to Define and Evolve DoR & DoD in Your Team?
To apply the Definition of Ready Vs Definition of Done effectively, follow a structured yet flexible approach:
1. Collaborative Workshops
Bring together the full Scrum team (dev, QA, product, stakeholders) to brainstorm what “ready” means and what “done” means in your context. Capture criteria, discuss tradeoffs, and vote for what’s essential vs optional.
2. Start Minimal & Iterate
Don’t over-engineer at first. Start with a minimal set of criteria (maybe 4–6 items) for DoR and DoD. As you use them, evolve them every few sprints during retrospectives.
3. Use INVEST / SMART Principles
For DoR, use INVEST (Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable) as a guide.
For DoD, make criteria SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) so they stay practical.
4. Version Your Definitions
You may have a “core DoD” (non-negotiable) and an “extended DoD” (optional but desirable). Similarly, DoR can evolve over maturity levels.
5. Make Them Visible & Transparent
Post both definitions on your team wall, board, or digital tool. Every backlog item should show whether it meets DoR before planning, and whether it meets DoD before acceptance.
6. Regularly Revise
In retrospectives, review if DoR/DoD helped or hindered. Adjust criteria that are rarely met or redundant. If definitions are too strict, back off; if too lax, tighten selectively.
7. Validate with Real Work
During planning and reviews, challenge items: “Is this ready enough?” and “Does this meet the mark?” Hard conversations help refine collective understanding.
By treating Done or Ready decisions as conversation starters, not rigid rules, teams stay agile and aligned.
The Future of Done & Ready in 2025 and Beyond
As agile practices mature and organizations scale, the relationship between ready and done will grow more sophisticated. In 2025 and beyond:
Many teams will adopt AI-assisted readiness checks, where system tools analyze backlog clarity, dependencies, and estimation anomalies.
Multi-team (scaled) environments will maintain multi-level DoD definitions across teams and value streams (story-level, sprint-level, system-level).
The concept of Done and Ready may fold into more dynamic guardrails, where definitions adapt automatically based on velocity, defect rates, and feedback loops.
Yet, regardless of automation, the human discipline of alignment, negotiation, and shared context will remain central.
Conclusion
Clarity between Definition of Ready Vs Definition of Done is not optional - it’s foundational for predictable, quality delivery. Done ensures completeness and quality; Ready ensures the team enters work with full context and confidence. In my journey, I’ve seen teams stall when they lack one or the other. Properly defined DoR and DoD become guardrails, not shackles. As you evolve these definitions, revisit, simplify, and adapt them based on real experience.
If you want to lead teams in mastering these critical practices, consider pursuing Certified Scrum Master Certification - it helps deepen your understanding of Scrum commitments, which includes crafting effective definitions. Get your Done and Ready right, and you’ll reduce surprises, improve flow, and deliver value more reliably.
FAQs
1. Is the Definition of Ready mandatory in Scrum?
No. Scrum mandates a Definition of Done but does not require a formal Definition of Ready. DoR is a helpful team practice, but it is optional.
2. Who owns the Definition of Done?
The entire Scrum team (developers, QA, PO, stakeholders) jointly owns the DoD. It must reflect shared agreement and be regularly inspected.
3. What happens if stories are not “Ready”?
If a story doesn’t satisfy DoR, pulling it into a sprint increases the risk of surprises, ambiguity, rework, and disruption mid-sprint. Some teams reject or defer non-ready items.
4. Can DoR and DoD evolve over time?
Absolutely. They should evolve. Teams often start with minimal definitions and refine them via retrospectives as maturity grows.
5. How does Certified Scrum Master Certification help with DoR / DoD?
A Certified Scrum Master Certification course deepens your understanding of Scrum roles, artifacts, and commitments. It equips you to facilitate definition workshops, enforce clarity, and lead teams in evolving their definitions effectively.
