Replace desk checks with recorded video

A good practice with desk-checks is to time-box them to 15 mins otherwise they can end up being exploratory tests on the dev's computer. While a lot of obvious defects show up in these dev-box tests, you can preempt them with a checklist. Teams can develop their own checklist based on the DoD that developers can then enrich with the acceptance criteria for individual stories. 

Once such a checklist is in place, developers can use it to create a simple recorded demo showing each of the test conditions, and other completion criteria such as logging and monitoring. They can attach it to the card and shout out to the tester and the PO to do an asynchronous dev-box test. A good practice is to create this video while there’s still some minor work to complete for the story. That could include adding unit tests in parts of the codes that you may have touched, or refactoring some of the code you’ve encountered, final touches to your own code and writing up the eventual commit message.  

Even when everyone’s in the same physical space, sometimes no one’s available for a desk check. Instead of waiting to synchronise, recorded video is a good way to "default to action" until the PO and tester are available. TAT agreements can ensure that devs don't have to feel blocked for too long. You’ll find some suggestions for async video tools here.