Quality Gate

Example usage

A large project defines a quality gate between the requirements phase and the design phase. Before design work can start, the requirements documents must pass a formal check: all review findings are resolved, the requirements are complete and consistent, and the exit criteria of the phase are met. If the gate fails, the phase’s deliverables are reworked — the next phase does not start until the gate passes.

FAQ

What is a quality gate? A special milestone in a project, located between phases that strongly depend on the outcome of the previous phase. It includes a formal check of the documents of the previous phase.

What is the difference between a quality gate and a milestone? A milestone marks a point in the schedule. A quality gate is a specific kind of milestone that includes a formal check of the previous phase’s documents — passing the gate is not automatic, it must be earned.

Who decides whether a quality gate passes? The stakeholders responsible for the project’s quality — typically project and quality management, often supported by test management reviewing the exit criteria evidence.

What is the relationship between quality gates and exit criteria? The formal check at a quality gate verifies that the phase’s exit criteria are met. Exit criteria are the measurable conditions that must hold before the phase can be considered complete.

Do quality gates apply to testing phases too? Yes. Test completion criteria can be enforced as quality gates between test levels, ensuring a level only ends when its exit criteria are demonstrably met.

Related terms

• exit criteria — the conditions a gate verifies
• milestone — the scheduling concept a gate builds on
• test completion — the phase whose criteria a gate may enforce
• test plan — documents the criteria and gates
• quality management — the discipline owning quality gates
• quality assurance — the process support behind gate compliance

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