What is Stage Gating?

Where the Cycle of Innovation allows for a more free-flow approach to innovation, Stage Gating is a much more controlled and structured variant. Thus, the circular function of the Cycle is exchanged for a linear model which looks like the following:

*The number of stages needed depends on the complexity of the project: the higher the risk, the more stages are recommended.

Each stage ends by a gate, these being a place and time to evaluate priorities and resource allocation. Within these gates are two areas you should focus on.

The criteria against which the project is judged (which include must-meet criteria, or a checklist designed to weed out misfit projects quickly) and should-meet criteria that are added based on a point count system used to prioritize projects.