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Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process: The Most Commonly Used Stages

What are the most commonly used innovation software stage-gate process stages?

When deciding upon your stages of innovation, it’s important to understand what those stages should be and how to best manage an idea at each stage. To clarify the process, we want to break down the most common stages within an innovation software stage-gate process.

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process Stages Identified

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process #1: New

Naturally, all ideas will start at the New stage. This is your innovation idea inbox and where most of your sorting will take place.

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process #2: Request for Information

After an idea has been deemed interesting as a possible solution, the organization will typically require more information to dive deeper into the idea, what’s involved and the requirements or limitation of the proposed solution. Reaching out to the submitter will enable you to better understand the submitters background as an expert and how they will play a part in moving this solution forward. Perhaps a papers abstract was submitted as a possible solution. You’ll want to go over the paper in its entirety to understand the key details.

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process #3: Under Review

Once enough information is put together to fully understand the proposed solution your team is fully enabled to review the idea and either drop the idea or move forward into issuing an NDA and build out terms that benefit both the organization and the submitter.

 

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process #4: NDA Issued

The solution has been reviewed and has been chosen to move forward, typically an NDA is issued between the submitter and organization to discuss the terms in which it would benefit both parties to move forward. This is a critical stage for any proposed solution. Being able to instill confidence in the submitter can easily make or break that initial relationship and determine if an idea moves further or not. Assuming terms are easy to come to the idea moves forward into the Approved stage.

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process #5: Approved

At this point you’ve gone through the majority of “testing” an idea and seeing how it stands against pressure and constraints imposed on it from you and your team. You’ve come to favorable terms and are ready to put the idea into production. This stage is a short one, requiring little work but is a holding gate for amazing ideas that need further action taken in our last stage.

 

Innovation Software Stage-Gate Process #5: Project Definition

You’ve approved the solution, but now it’s time to determine the scope of the project and move into the final stages of innovation. Capital requirements, time-frame, development, manufacturing and market research to name a few. From this point on your internal research and development team should be able to take over responsibility and get to market.