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Project Management vocabulary · Waterfall & Other Methods

Phase gate

Meaning in project management, with examples

/ˈfeɪz ˌɡeɪt/nounAdvanced term

In project management, phase gate means: A formal checkpoint at the end of a project phase where decision-makers review the results and decide whether the project continues, changes direction or stops.

In Turkish: aşama kapısı, aşama geçiş noktası, karar noktası

How it is used

Common in product development, engineering and large corporate projects. Also called a stage gate or gate review. The decision is often described as go/no-go. Projects pass, prepare for or fail a gate.

Example sentences

  1. At the next phase gate, the board will decide whether to fund the pilot production line.

  2. We need the cost model and the test results ready for the phase gate review.

Common collocations

  • phase gate review
  • pass a phase gate
  • go/no-go decision
  • stage gate
  • phaseOne of the main stages a project is divided into, such as design, build or testing, each with its own goals and deliverables.
  • waterfallA traditional way of running projects in which work moves through fixed phases in order, such as requirements, design, build, test and handover, and each phase is finished before the next starts.
  • steering committeeA group of senior managers and key stakeholders who give a project direction, make major decisions, approve big changes and help solve escalated problems.
  • business caseA document or argument that explains why a project is worth doing, comparing its expected benefits with its costs, risks and alternative options.

More terms: Waterfall & Other Methods

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