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The Stage-Gate® methodology
A typical product development process New product development begins with an idea and ends with the launch of a new product. The steps between these points can be viewed as a systematic product development process. The Stage-Gate® methodology divides this process into a series of stages. The figure below is a typical example.
Stages cut across functions and departments All stages in the Stage-Gate® process contain certain prescribed activities, incorporating proven best practices. The activities in in each stage are carried out by different functions and coordinated by a project leader. The activities are executed in parallel, not in sequence. This reduces the time from idea to market.  stages are cross-functional - all areas and departments of the company contribute
each stage is preceded by a decision point, i.e, the gate.
Gates are the critical decision points Gates are the critical points in the process where gatekeepers make decisions about the project. They can decide to Go, Kill, Hold, or Recycle the project. Furthermore, gates are: "quality
control" points: Has
the previous stage been carried out in a quality fashion? Has
the project team done its job well? Is
the project still attractive from a business standpoint? Are
the action plan and the path forward sound? project
prioritisation and resource allocation decision meetingsThe gate meeting concludes with a clear and well-founded decision. A Go ensures resource commitments and visible support from senior management to the project leader and the team. Gatekeepers Gatekeepers are the team of senior management that who own the resources and make the Go/Kill decisions at gates. The gatekeepers: are
from a different functional areas and can commit resources have
a pre-set list of criteria and rules - they can't play favoritesThe Benefits of the system it
puts discipline in an otherwise uncoordinated series of events it
focuses attention on quality of execution it
speeds up the project - because it is cross-functional it
ensures a complete project - no critical steps are omitted it
leads to a better project selection and focused resourcesA well implemented system helps you .. to keep the schedule in the majority of your projects,
to shorten time to market by 30% or more,
to improve your new-product success rate by 10-30%.
And this actually increase your company's profits by millions, frequently by just as many millions as your company's annual development budget. Get more information |
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