A mandatory control point where predefined criteria must be met before work can move to the next stage.
Quality gates create disciplined progression through production by requiring objective evidence before release.
They prevent downstream teams from inheriting unresolved quality risk.
Gate design principles
Each gate should define pass/fail criteria, required records, approvers, and escalation paths.
Criteria should align with customer requirements, process risk, and historical defect patterns.
Execution in operations
Typical gates appear at incoming inspection, first article approval, in-process milestones, and final release.
Blocked gates should trigger immediate containment and action ownership, not informal bypasses.
Key takeaways
- Quality gates prevent risk from moving downstream unchecked.
- Strong gate rules require objective criteria and clear ownership.
- Workflow enforcement improves consistency and transparency.