Stage Gates in Innovation Product Management

Stage gates are a systematic approach to managing the product development process. They involve a series of decision points, or gates, at which teams review progress and make decisions about whether to proceed to the next stage. The stage gate process is designed to help teams identify and kill bad ideas early in the development process, and to focus resources on the most promising ideas.

There are typically five stages in the stage gate process:

1. Discovery: This stage is focused on identifying and understanding customer needs and problems. Teams also begin to generate and evaluate potential product solutions.
2. Scoping: In this stage, teams develop a detailed plan for the product, including its features, specifications, and target market.
3. Build: This stage is where the product is actually developed. Teams prototype, test, and refine the product until it is ready for launch.
4. Launch: In this stage, the product is released to market and teams begin to generate sales and revenue.
5. Growth: In this stage, teams focus on growing the product’s market share and profitability.

At each stage, teams must meet certain criteria in order to proceed to the next gate. This criteria may include having a clear understanding of customer needs, a well-defined product plan, a working prototype, and a strong business case.

Company Example: Slack

Slack is a cloud-based team communication and collaboration platform that was launched in 2014. Slack quickly became popular among businesses of all sizes, and it is now used by over 12 million daily active users.

Slack implemented a stage gate process to manage the development of its new product. The company’s stage gate process had five stages:

1. Ideation: This stage was focused on generating and evaluating new product ideas. Slack used a variety of methods to generate ideas, including customer interviews, surveys, and brainstorming sessions.
2. Validation: In this stage, Slack validated the most promising product ideas by conducting market research and user testing.
3. Development: In this stage, Slack developed and tested the new product. The company used agile development methodologies to quickly iterate on the product and get feedback from users.
4. Launch: In this stage, Slack launched the new product to a limited group of users to get feedback. Once the company was satisfied with the product, it launched it to all users.
5. Growth: In this stage, Slack focused on growing the product’s market share and profitability. The company did this through marketing, sales, and product development initiatives.

Slack’s stage gate process helped the company to quickly and efficiently develop and launch new products that met the needs of its customers. The company’s stage gate process was also aligned with its overall strategy of providing businesses with a cloud-based platform for team communication and collaboration.

How Slack’s Product Aligned with the Company’s Strategy

Slack’s product is aligned with the company’s strategy in a number of ways. First, Slack’s product is focused on solving a real problem for businesses: the need for a better way for teams to communicate and collaborate. Second, Slack’s product is easy to use and affordable, making it accessible to businesses of all sizes. Third, Slack’s product is constantly being updated with new features and functionality, which ensures that it remains competitive in the market.

Conclusion

Stage gates are a valuable tool for managing the product development process. By following a stage gate process, teams can identify and kill bad ideas early in the development process, and focus resources on the most promising ideas. Slack is an example of a company that has successfully implemented a stage gate process to develop and launch new products that meet the needs of its customers.