Gatekeeper

Stage-Gate Readiness

Gatekeeper is the governance agent that keeps Product Development honest. It runs readiness against your stage-gate criteria and forces teams to show the proof before they ask for approval. Gatekeeper turns messy project files into a clean evidence pack: what decisions are being requested, what inputs support them, what is still unproven, and what risks leadership is implicitly accepting. It reduces churn in gate reviews by making gaps obvious early—missing specs, incomplete testing, unclear supplier readiness, unvalidated cost assumptions, or unresolved quality constraints— so teams don’t spend weeks “prepping for the meeting” just to get sent back for basic work. Built to support judgment, not replace it: leadership chooses go/hold/kill; Gatekeeper ensures the choice is grounded, documented, and defensible.

Primary Outputs

Typical deliverables

Gate checklist: pass/at-risk/fail status against your criteria with evidence links and owners

Evidence pack: a consolidated set of proofs (specs, tests, costs, readiness notes) in a review-ready structure

Decision prompt: clear asks, decision options, and what the business is accepting if it approves

Risk register: top risks, mitigation actions, owners, and what remains unknown at this gate

Readiness sign-offs: who needs to approve, what conditions apply, and what triggers re-review if inputs change

Close-the-gaps plan: prioritized missing items with owners and dates to reach “reviewable” status

Core Capabilities

What it does

Runs stage-gate readiness against your criteria and makes “not ready” visible with evidence-backed gaps

Builds review-ready evidence packs so teams stop hunting for documents and rebuilding decks

Forces clarity on decisions: what is being requested, what options exist, and what is being accepted by approving

Surfaces missing proof early: unvalidated costs, incomplete testing, unresolved quality constraints, or unclear supplier readiness

Maintains a clean risk register with owners and mitigations tied to gate outcomes

Creates “close-the-gaps” plans that turn gate feedback into executable actions instead of vague notes

Operational Fit

How it’s used

Used By

NPD leaders, PMO, R&D, ops, QA, packaging engineering, and cross-functional gate committees.

Used For

Gate review preparation, governance discipline, evidence consolidation, and reducing churn and rework in approvals.

Typical Questions

Are we actually ready for this gate—or are we missing proof?
What risks are we accepting if we approve, and what is still unknown?
What are the exact gaps to close, who owns them, and by when?

Agent Overview