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Vertical Slices / Stories
- User stories are typically written in narrative form and should be a testable vertical slice of functionality. The story should encompass requirements, design, development, test, integration, and analysis.
- Each user story should have a Definition of Done and an Acceptance Criteria. The Definition of Done is a checklist for user stories of similar types and ensures quality and completeness. The Acceptance Criteria helps the team have a clear understanding of the problem they are trying to solve and what test they will have to pass before work will be considered complete. The Acceptance Criteria clarifies the “what” and ensures there is a common understanding of the requirements prior to the start of work.
- Vertical slices allow the team to quickly pivot as they learn more about the product they are developing. Because the product is being incrementally tested and vetted by the customer, there is a higher probability that the customer will be happier with the end product and that the product itself will be higher quality. Once vertical slices are ready to be worked by the team, there are many techniques they can use to perform the work with increasing agility.