Front-end loading gates

Front-End Loading (FEL) is a project management methodology that spans multiple phases and is the project management view that is closely related to the Inception, Conceptual Design, and Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase. The two terms are often used interchangeably.

The primary goal of FEL is to make critical decisions, determine project parameters, and set stage gates during the early stages when changes are less costly and disruptive.

While the stages and phases offer a structured and sequential approach to design execution, complemented by underlying workflows, they are seamlessly integrated with project management gates, serving as critical milestones for decision-making. The FEL milestones, in particular, function as pivotal decision gates and hold a purpose that extends beyond mere deliverable generation. The FEL milestones present crucial junctures for deliberating the project’s advancement to subsequent stages or phases. Typically, workflows transcend these demarcations and deliverables. Although initiated in one domain, the workflows frequently extend and undergo further development in the ensuing stage, phase, or FEL gate.

Therefore, FEL 1 to FEL 3 are primarily decision points or gates. As a project progresses from one phase to another, it must pass through these gates. At each gate, a review is done to ensure the project is on track and fulfills predefined criteria, allowing the project to proceed to the next phase.