Adding Stages to Process Models

In the Phase Gate process, stages represent the periods of a project when the project team is gathering information or developing phases of a product or service. In a gated model, a stage precedes each gate within the model and there can be up to 20 stage/gate pairs. Multiple stages in a row are not allowed. Models can also end in a stage, if necessary.

The information from a stage is gathered in deliverables and activities, which are documents or other materials that guide decision makers about whether to continue with the project. After you add a stage to a model, add the deliverables and activities that are appropriate for that stage.

Important! After a model is active and assigned to a project, you can no longer add or remove stages or gates from the model. To add or remove a stage or gate after the model is in use, you must either create a copy of the model and make the changes in the copy, or delete all projects that use the model. If you create a copy, Project Managers can then migrate existing projects that need the additional stages or gates to a new model that contains the changes.

To add a stage to a model:

1. From the System menu, select Process > All Models and create a gated, non-gated, or an idea model, or select the model to edit.
2. Click to add the stage, and enter the following information in the Stage Editor to identify the stage:
   
   Required fields display with red text and an asterisk * if the field is empty.

Field	Description
Name	Enter a name, up to 64 characters long, which identifies the stage. The name entered here not only defines the stage as you are creating the process model, it also displays within the project pages that show the process model stages and gates.
Description	Enter a description of the purpose and nature of the stage.

3. Click Create to create the stage.
4. (Optional) In the Appearance section, configure the stage icon and color scheme.

The stage icon provides a graphical representation of the stage, while the state of the stage is represented in a color scheme, defined as a project moves through gates. See Defining the Process Model Graphic for more information on configuration options for stages.

5. Click Apply to save your changes.
6. Add gates (and additional stages/gate pairs as necessary), and continue with one or more of the following stage configuration options to continue to develop the process flow through the model.

• Add deliverables and activities, and assign dependencies within a stage.
• Create or assign conditional rules to be applied to deliverables and activities.

Notes:    Changes to the stage name and stage description will display in current and future stages in existing projects that are based on the model. To support a resource demand curve that includes resource demand after the project's final gate, the model must end with a stage. You cannot insert a stage into the middle of a model. You can add a stage only after the last existing gate or at the beginning of the model. To move a stage, you can work back through the model, or make a copy, deleting stages and gates and re-adding them in the correct sequence.