Project Gates: The Janus-like Guardians of Product Development

One might conclude that agile approaches to project management, such as Scrum, mean there is no need for gate reviews. We suggest blanket statements like that are of little use and amount to checking our brains at the door. We say the same thing if one adopts gate reviews for every product development project.

In product development, project gates stand as crucial checkpoints, like the Roman god Janus, looking both backward and forward. These gates serve as pivotal decision points, ensuring that projects progress smoothly from one phase to the next. Let’s explore a typical product development project’s phases, goals, and metrics reviewed at each gate.

Figure 1 Image of the Roman God Janus- as interpreted by ChatGPT — Figure 1 – Image of the Roman God Janus- as interpreted by ChatGPT

The Janus-like Nature of Project Gates

At each gate, project managers and stakeholders must embody the spirit of Janus, the two-faced god of transitions and doorways. Like Janus, they must look backward to evaluate the completed phase and forward to anticipate challenges in the upcoming stage. This dual perspective is crucial for making informed decisions. Looking back, they assess whether the project has met its objectives and delivered the required outputs. They consider the resources needed, potential risks, and strategic alignment for the next phase.

Backwards: The thoroughness of market research, robustness of financial projections, and clarity of the product definition.
Forwards: The readiness of the development team, availability of necessary resources, and potential technical challenges in the Development phase.

This Janus-like approach ensures that projects only advance when they are genuinely ready, minimizing risks and maximizing the chances of success. It allows course corrections, resource reallocations, or project termination if necessary.

Organizations can significantly improve their innovation outcomes by implementing well-structured gates throughout product development. These checkpoints provide the essential pauses for reflection and foresight, embodying Janus’s wisdom in guiding products from concept to market reality.

Figure 2 – AIAG development process. [1]

The Phases of Product Development

The things a company does and the products it designs will influence the phases of the project or how it is divided into key segments. Below is an example, although not a definitive one. The breakdown will depend on product, industry, and themes related to the products under development, such as automotive-embedded products and instrument clusters.

Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) [2] is a structured approach to product and process development used in various industries, particularly automotive manufacturing. The APQP process is divided into five phases, each with associated gates. Here are the APQP gates of product development, including the goals of each gate and associated metric examples:

We do not include the specific project metric elements in the breakdown below, but we will create a general list here as follows:

Actual project expenditures to date
Planned project expenditures to date
Estimated completion date of the project
Future / remaining project expenditures planned (the estimate at completion changed)

Gate 0: Program Initiation

In the program initiation phase, we want to understand the opportunity. What constitutes good? What are the boundary conditions? We are attempting to quantify the effort, cost, and opportunity should the project be undertaken.

Goal: Define the program scope and establish initial planning and early assessment of viability as a project.

Example Gate Metrics:

Percentage of initial requirements documented
Completion rate of preliminary bill of materials
Number of identified potential suppliers
Volume of product to be delivered (number of potential customers)
Preliminary business case

Gate 1: Plan and Define Program

The Plan and Define Program phase finalizes planning and customer requirements. The team develops design goals, reliability targets, and quality objectives at this stage. The output includes a preliminary bill of materials, a process flow chart, and an identification of unique characteristics. We will identify the appropriate standards and processes for product development.

Goal: Finalize initial planning and define customer requirements.

Example Gate Metrics:

Percentage of customer requirements fully defined (capability and performance expectations)
Completion rate of preliminary process flow diagram
Identification of applicable product development processes (for example, change management and configuration management)
Number of quality and reliability goals established
Benchmark technology application to product development and manufacturing

Gate 2: Product Design and Development

The Product Design and Development phase completes the product design and conducts feasibility assessments. This phase and the next phase operate in parallel to a large degree. The product and manufacturing design and development go hand in hand. Thus, some of the gate criteria will include elements directly attributed to product design and development, along with those things we do to develop the manufacturing line.

This will consist of multiple prototype incarnations of the product of increasing capability and fidelity to the final product. Key activities include performing Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), design verification, and prototype development. This gate ensures the product design meets customer requirements and is ready for process development.

Goal: Complete product design (through iterations) and conduct feasibility assessments.

Example Gate Metrics:

Percentage of Design Failure Mode Effects Analysis (DFMEA) completed- and findings
Tooling cost estimates
State of engineering testing and results
Number of design reviews conducted and the results – risks/costs
Prototype build completion rate, costs, and fidelity to final production

Gate 3: Process Design and Development

The Process Design and Development phase focuses on designing and developing the manufacturing process. The outputs include process flow diagrams, Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA), and control plans. The control plan typically has three levels: prototype, pre-launch, and production. This growth represents the maturity of the manufacturing line and the controls to ensure product quality. This gate aims to create an effective and efficient production system.

Figure 3 An example of a control chart for the manufacturing process. [3] — Figure 3 – An example of a control chart for the manufacturing process. [3]

Goal: Design and develop the manufacturing processes, growing capability as the product design matures.

Example Gate Metrics:

Percentage of Process Failure Mode Effects Analysis (PFMEA) completed
Control plan state – do we have a suitable iteration for prototype, pre-launch, and production?
Number of work instructions created
Completion rate of production floor plan layout
Trial production run results
Manufacturing equipment acquisition (costs, projected delivery, state of build)

Gate 4: Product and Process Validation

The Product and Process Validation phase validates the product and the production process before a full-scale launch. It involves conducting significant production runs, measurement system analysis, and process capability studies. The collection will include Design Validation Testing (DVT) and Process Validation Testing (PVT). [4] This gate culminates in the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), ensuring that the product and process meet all specified requirements.

Goal: Validate the product and production process before a full-scale launch.

Example Gate Metrics:

First pass yield from the run at rate
Percentage of Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) submissions on time
First-time PPAP approval rate
Results of the Trial Production Runs and Run at Rate tests
If moving the developed line, Factory Site Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) status

Gate 5: Launch, Feedback, Assessment & Corrective Action

Launch, Feedback, Assessment & Corrective Action focuses on successfully launching a product and implementing continuous improvement processes. This final gate involves monitoring product performance, gathering customer feedback, and implementing corrective actions as needed to ensure ongoing customer satisfaction and product quality.

Goal: Ensure successful product launch and implement continuous improvement.

Example Gate Metrics:

Customer satisfaction scores
Number of warranty claims in the first 90 days
Evaluation of product distribution/logistics
Percentage of corrective actions completed on time
Failed parts return evaluation (what is the 0km ppm and field failure rates)

These gates and associated metrics help ensure the product development process progresses systematically, with clear objectives and measurable outcomes at each stage. This is not a prescription but a top-level list of general content. The APQP framework emphasizes continuous monitoring and improvement throughout the product lifecycle, fostering better communication between suppliers and manufacturers while reducing the risk of quality issues and costly recalls.

References

[1] K. Pries and J. M. Quigley, “Project Management of Complex and Embedded Systems, Ensuring Product Integrity and Program Quality,” Boca Raton, CRC Press, 2008, p. page 4.

[2] Automotive Industry Action Group, Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) Fourth Edition, Detroit, MI: Automotive Industry Action Group, 2006.

[3] G. B. Alleman and J. M. Quigley, Risk Management, Boca Raton: Auerbach Publications, 2024.

[4] AIAG, Potential Failure Mode Effects Analysis (FMEA): Reference Manual, Detroit: Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Com., General Motors Corp., 2008.

The Janus-like Nature of Project Gates

The Phases of Product Development

Gate 0: Program Initiation

Gate 1: Plan and Define Program

Gate 2: Product Design and Development

Gate 3: Process Design and Development

Gate 4: Product and Process Validation

Gate 5: Launch, Feedback, Assessment & Corrective Action

References

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Project Gates: The Janus-like Guardians of Product Development