A quality gate is a checkpoint between two of the project's phases. Before the project moves on, someone checks a list of criteria: has the work that should be finished actually been finished? Open the gates from the project menu: Governance, then Quality gates.
What it's for
Gates stop a project drifting into the next phase with unfinished work behind it. The gate gets a decision: pass, pass with conditions (go ahead, but fix named items by a due date) or fail.
Where gates come from
A new project gets its method's gates, with their criteria, when it is created. Each method has its own set. On SAP S/4HANA with SAP Activate, for example:
- Prepare to ExploreCharter, scope and plan signed off, team on-boarded
- Explore to RealizeFit-to-standard complete, WRICEF backlog and design approved
- Realize to DeployWRICEF objects built and tested, SIT and UAT passed
- Go-live readinessDress rehearsal reconciled, business go or no-go signed
- Hypercare exitIncidents stable, knowledge transfer complete
Every other method, Waterfall, Agile and Hybrid included, has its own set, with a gate between each phase and the next. On Oracle Fusion Cloud and Infor CloudSuite the set comes from a common partner approach, not an official Oracle or Infor method.
The criteria are starting points, not vendor text: change them to fit your programme. A tab with no gates offers the method's standard set, such as Add the standard SAP Activate gates, or Add gate to build your own. With gates already there, the same button adds only the standard ones that are missing.
How to add or change a gate
- Start a gate
Select Add gate. To change one, pick its card and select Edit gate.
- Fill it in
Enter the Code (such as QG-01) and the Name, plus an optional Planned date and Owner. On the platform's own method, choose the From phase and To phase from the project's phases (the last gate can end in Closed). On Waterfall, Agile or Hybrid, type your own From stage and To stage, such as Design and Build.
- Save
Select Add gate or Save gate. To remove it, select Delete gate in the same dialog and confirm. Its criteria go with it.
- Add criteria
With the gate open, select Add criterion. Write the Criterion, choose a Category, Status and Owner, and tick Mandatory if the gate cannot pass without it. Use the edit button on a row to change a criterion or Remove criterion.
Before you start
Before you decide a gate
- Every mandatory criterion (marked with a red asterisk) is Met or Waived
- For a conditional pass: you know the conditions and their due date
How to work through the criteria
- Pick a gate
The gates sit in a row of cards at the top. Select one to open its criteria.
- Update each criterion
In the table, set the Status to Not started, In progress, Met, Not met, Waived or N/A. Fill in Owner, Sign-off by, Sign-off date and Notes.
- Watch the progress
The header shows Progress and how many criteria are met. Met and Waived count as done; N/A is left out.
- Wait for Ready for review
When every mandatory criterion is met or waived and progress reaches 100%, the gate moves to Ready for review.
How to record the gate decision
Each button opens a dialog where you confirm the decision. An optional Comment (a Reason, for a fail) is added to the gate's notes.
- Pass gate: available only when every mandatory criterion is met or waived. Passing records today as the gate date and you as the approver, and moves the project to the gate's next stage.
- Pass with conditions: fill in the Conditions and the Conditions due date (not in the past), then confirm. The gate shows as Conditionally passed, with the conditions and due date in a yellow box.
- Fail: optionally give a Reason saying what has to change, then select Fail gate. The gate is marked Failed and the project stays in its stage.
Once a gate is decided, its Signatures panel lets you ask people to sign the decision. See E-signatures.
How a gate moves the project
Every project has a stage: on the platform's own method, its current phase; on Waterfall, Agile or Hybrid, a stage name from your gates, such as Build. An open gate reads Passing moves the project from Design → Build. Pass gate and Pass with conditions both make that move, and a message confirms it, such as "Gate passed. The project is now in Build." Fail gate leaves the project where it is.
Good to know
- A project manager edits the phases themselves in Project settings, Phases. A phase a gate still uses cannot be removed.
- Gate decisions are written to the audit log.
- Gates that are ready for a decision appear on Home for everyone who can decide gates. See Approvals inbox.
- Quality gates are part of every plan. Requesting signatures needs Pro, Enterprise or Lifetime. See Plans and pricing.
Who can do this
Admins and project managers can add, edit and delete gates. Admins, project managers, functional leads and technical leads can add, edit and remove criteria. Admins, project managers and executive sponsors can pass, conditionally pass or fail a gate. See Roles and permissions.