Stage gates

A stage gate is a process step which facilitates decision making within AVEVA Contract Risk Management. Stage gates divide the tendering process into separate stages. Continuation of the tendering process is blocked until approval is granted by the Responsible Party for the stage gate (an approval group or steering committee).

Dependent relationships can exist between two stage gates or between a stage gate and certain types of tender schedule items: Despatch/Tracking and Award. A dependent schedule item is also inhibited by the stage gate. A dependent schedule item can be prepared but it cannot be completed (cannot be published, dispatched or awarded) until the parent stage gate has been approved. This is configured at the template creation stage. For more information, see Tender templates.

Note The dependency between two stage gates is automatically enforced. The dependency between a stage gate and a Despatch/Tracking or Award process step is configured in the tender template.

The stage gate allows the tender administrators to communicate with the Responsible Party. A tender administrator creates a package of information containing documents related to the tender, which is dispatched to the Responsible Party. The Responsible Party can acknowledge the receipt of the package and let the tender administrators know when to expect their decision. When the decision has been made, the Responsible Party selects a decision from a list managed in the Best Practice Libraries and Stage Gate Configuration (see Decision sets). One of these choices is configured to allow the continuation of the tendering process.

Note Only tender administrators can manage a stage gate schedule item. Tender team members cannot be assigned to a stage gate schedule item.

The stage gate process is:

1. Start the stage gate (see Start and complete schedule items).

2. Create a stage gate package:

   • Add a new package (see Create a stage gate package).

   • Reference other schedule items in the stage gate package (see Reference schedule items in stage gate packages).

   • Add supporting notes (see Add supporting notes and attachments to stage gate packages).

   • Add tender library documents (see Copy tender library documents to stage gate packages).

3. Issue the stage gate (see Issue stage gate packages for approval).

   If necessary, you can revise the stage gate package (see Create stage gate package revisions).

4. The members of the business process role assigned to approve the stage gate make their decision (see Stage gate approval).

5. Complete the stage gate (see Start and complete schedule items).