stagegates

Stage-gate, also known as the phase-gate process, is a project management framework used to guide new product development from idea to launch. The model breaks work into a series of stages separated by gates, at which a team’s progress is reviewed by senior decision makers who determine whether to continue, modify, or terminate the project. The intent is to improve resource allocation, reduce risk, and accelerate development through disciplined governance and cross-functional collaboration.

Typical stages include: Stage 0 Discovery, Stage 1 Scoping, Stage 2 Build the Business Case, Stage 3 Development, Stage 4 Testing and Validation, Stage 5 Launch. Some variants collapse or rename stages; some add iterative loops. Between stages, gates require certain deliverables and criteria; progress is not automatic.

Gate criteria cover market viability, technical feasibility, financial metrics, regulatory and operational risks, and plan quality. Deliverables often include a market assessment, a technical feasibility assessment, a business case with ROI, a project plan, and a risk register. At each gate, decision options exist: Go, Kill, Hold, or recycle to an earlier stage.

Advantages of the approach include clarified expectations, staged investment, and improved portfolio prioritization with early risk mitigation. Limitations include potential overhead, bureaucracy, and the risk of stifling exploration or too-rapidly killing long-term bets. It may be misapplied if not aligned with strategy or if gatekeepers lack empowerment.

Origins and usage: The Stage-Gate model was developed in the 1980s by Robert G. Cooper to manage product development, and has been widely adopted in industries such as consumer goods, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Variants exist that integrate agile methods or lean startup principles to increase speed while retaining governance.