Stage and Gate – Cerri Project

A Stage-Gate process is a structured project management approach that divides initiatives into defined stages, separated by formal decision gates.

Each stage focuses on executing specific activities and deliverables. At each gate, stakeholders review progress, risks, costs, and readiness to decide whether a project should proceed, be revised, or be stopped.

The primary purpose of a Stage-Gate process is to improve decision quality, manage risk early, and ensure that projects remain aligned with strategic objectives while resources are allocated to the most valuable initiatives.

Stage-Gate reviews are important because they introduce formal decision points that control risk, investment, and resource commitment throughout the new product development lifecycle.

Rather than allowing projects to progress automatically, Stage-Gate reviews require teams to demonstrate readiness at each phase by validating deliverables, risks, costs, and strategic alignment. This enables organizations to make informed decisions to continue, adjust, or stop initiatives before further investment is committed.

For new product development, this approach helps organizations:

• Prevent weak or high-risk ideas from advancing too far

• Align product initiatives with strategic and portfolio priorities

• Identify risks and quality issues early, when they are easier to address

• Allocate resources to the most promising opportunities

• Improve predictability, governance, and overall success rates

When supported by enterprise software, Stage-Gate reviews move beyond meetings and documents to become a repeatable, auditable decision framework embedded directly into project execution.

• Stages (or phases) represent periods of execution where specific work is performed

• Gates (or phase gates) are decision checkpoints between stages

• Gate decisions determine whether a project advances, is revised, or is stopped

Together, stages and gates form a controlled lifecycle that balances execution speed with disciplined decision-making.

In practice, a Stage-Gate process is applied by embedding defined stages, decision gates, and approval criteria directly into the way projects and product initiatives are planned and governed.

Each stage represents a period of execution where specific activities and deliverables are completed. At the end of each stage, a gate review is conducted to assess readiness, risks, costs, resource implications, and strategic alignment before allowing the initiative to move forward.

In project and product development management, this means:

• Structuring projects around phases with clear objectives and deliverables

• Defining gate criteria that must be met before progressing

• Involving the right stakeholders at each decision point

• Making explicit decisions to continue, adjust, defer, or stop initiatives

When supported by enterprise software, Stage-Gate is no longer a manual or document-driven exercise. Platforms such as Cerri Project allow organizations to configure stages, gates, workflows, and approvals directly within project execution, ensuring that governance, traceability, and portfolio visibility are applied consistently across all initiatives.