Quality gate


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How a quality gate works

Quality gates help ensure that a project is well thought out technically and can be supported after deployment. In order to accomplish this, conditions are predefined based on aspects of the project that can be measured. Examples of conditions could be amount of vulnerabilities, whether outputs are on target or compile time. These milestones minimize project risk through phase-by-phase checklists and by enabling project managers to communicate the process continuously, reducing development cycle time by achieving higher success rates and increasing focus on a well-designed product.

When a quality gate is reached, the project results are checked against the predefined criteria and status information is returned. The three potential quality gate statuses are:

Pass- Quality gate metrics are met and production can continue.

Warn- Quality gate metrics may not be met, or just barely, and should be verified before production continues.

Fail- Quality gate metrics are not met and issues need to be resolved before production can continue.

 

A quality gate is a predefined point in a project or process where specific criteria and standards are evaluated to ensure the quality, readiness, and suitability of the work before it can progress to the next phase. Quality gates are used to:

  1. Assess Quality: They serve as checkpoints to assess whether the work meets established quality standards, including technical, functional, and non-functional requirements.
  1. Risk Management: Quality gates help identify and mitigate risks by ensuring that issues, defects, or non-compliance are addressed before they can impact later stages of the project.
  1. Decision-Making: Quality gates provide a clear basis for decision-making, allowing project stakeholders to determine whether the work is ready for the next phase or if further improvements and corrections are needed.
  1. Control Progress: They help maintain control over the project's progress and ensure that each phase or milestone is completed satisfactorily before moving forward.
  1. Communication: Quality gates facilitate communication among project teams and stakeholders by establishing a common understanding of what is expected at each stage of the project.
  1. Continuous Improvement: They encourage a culture of continuous improvement by requiring feedback and corrective actions when necessary.

 

 
 

Quality gates are typically defined early in a project's lifecycle and are specific to the project's objectives, scope, and industry standards. The criteria and standards evaluated at each quality gate may vary but often include factors such as documentation completeness, code quality, testing results, performance, security, and user acceptance.

The outcomes of a quality gate assessment can include passing the gate (proceeding to the next phase), conditional passing (addressing specific issues before proceeding), or failing the gate (requiring significant improvements or corrections before proceeding). The decision authority for quality gates is typically designated within the project or process management team.

Overall, quality gates are a valuable tool in ensuring that work is of high quality, aligns with project goals, and minimizes the risk of costly errors or delays in later stages of a project or process.