Waterfall Phase Gate Checklist¶

Overview¶

This comprehensive checklist provides phase gate criteria for testing activities in Waterfall methodology projects. Use this to ensure quality gates are met before proceeding from one phase to the next, maintaining rigorous quality standards throughout the project lifecycle.

Requirements Phase Gate¶

Requirements Validation¶

All requirements documented and numbered
Requirements are clear, complete, and unambiguous
Requirements are testable and measurable
Non-functional requirements specified
Requirements prioritized (must-have, should-have, could-have)
Requirements approved by stakeholders

Test Plan Approval Criteria¶

Requirements Traceability Setup¶

Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) template created
RTM structure defined (requirement ID, description, test case mapping)
Process for maintaining RTM established
Tool for RTM management selected
Initial RTM populated with requirements
RTM review process defined

Test Environment Planning¶

Test environment requirements identified
Hardware specifications documented
Software requirements listed
Network configuration requirements defined
Test data requirements identified
Third-party system dependencies documented
Environment procurement initiated
Environment timeline established
Environment responsibilities assigned

Test Team Formation¶

Test team roles and responsibilities defined
Test lead assigned
Test analysts/engineers identified
Test automation engineers assigned
Domain experts engaged
Training needs assessed
Team onboarding plan created

Phase Gate Exit Criteria: - ✓ Master Test Plan approved - ✓ Requirements are testable - ✓ RTM framework established - ✓ Test team formed - ✓ Test environment plan approved - ✓ Stakeholder sign-off obtained

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Vague or untestable requirements approved - ⚠️ Insufficient time allocated for test planning - ⚠️ Test environment needs not identified early

Design Phase Gate¶

Design Review and Analysis¶

System architecture reviewed from testing perspective
Design documents reviewed for testability
Integration points identified and documented
Data flow diagrams reviewed
Interface specifications analyzed
Security design reviewed
Performance requirements validated

Test Case Design Completion¶

Test Case Coverage Verification¶

All functional requirements have test cases
Non-functional requirements covered
Positive test scenarios created
Negative test scenarios created
Boundary value test cases included
Error handling scenarios covered
Integration test scenarios defined
End-to-end workflow scenarios documented
Test coverage gaps identified and addressed

Test Data Preparation Planning¶

Test data requirements analyzed
Test data sources identified
Data generation strategy defined
Data privacy and security requirements addressed
Test data creation approach documented
Data refresh strategy planned
Data masking requirements identified
Test data validation criteria defined

Test Automation Strategy¶

Automation feasibility assessed
Automation tool selection completed
Automation framework design documented
Automation scope defined (which tests to automate)
Automation priorities established
Test automation resources assigned
Automation development timeline created
Automation standards and guidelines documented

Environment Setup Validation¶

Test environment specifications finalized
Environment setup procedures documented
Environment access requirements defined
Environment monitoring approach defined
Environment backup and recovery plan created
Environment maintenance schedule established

Phase Gate Exit Criteria: - ✓ All test cases designed and approved - ✓ 100% requirements coverage in test cases - ✓ Test data strategy approved - ✓ Automation approach finalized - ✓ Design reviews completed - ✓ RTM updated with test cases - ✓ Test lead sign-off obtained

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Incomplete test case coverage - ⚠️ Test cases too high-level and vague - ⚠️ Not involving business users in test case review

Development Phase Gate¶

Unit Testing Completion¶

Unit testing standards defined
Developers completed unit testing
Unit test coverage metrics collected
Unit test coverage meets minimum threshold (e.g., 70%)
Unit test results reviewed
Critical unit test failures resolved
Unit test reports archived
Code coverage analysis completed

Integration Test Readiness¶

Integration test environment available
Integration test data prepared
Integration test cases ready for execution
Integration points validated
API documentation available
Interface specifications confirmed
Integration testing schedule finalized
Integration test dependencies resolved

Build and Deployment¶

Code complete and checked in
Build process documented
Build deployed to test environment
Smoke tests passed on deployed build
Build version documented
Deployment procedure documented
Rollback procedure documented
Build artifacts archived

Test Environment Setup Completion¶

Test environment fully configured
All required software installed
Database setup completed
Test data loaded
Network connectivity verified
Third-party integrations configured
Environment access provided to test team
Environment validated against checklist
Environment sign-off obtained

Test Automation Development¶

Automation framework implemented
Automated test scripts developed
Automation test data created
Automated tests integrated with CI/CD (if applicable)
Automated tests executed successfully
Automation results reporting configured
Automation maintenance documentation created
Test team trained on automation framework

Defect Tracking System Setup¶

Defect tracking tool configured
Defect workflow defined
Defect fields and categories configured
Severity and priority definitions documented
Defect triage process established
Defect reporting templates created
Team trained on defect tracking tool
Integration with test management tool completed
Defect metrics and reporting configured

Phase Gate Exit Criteria: - ✓ Unit testing completed with acceptable coverage - ✓ Test environment ready and validated - ✓ Build deployed and smoke tested - ✓ Defect tracking system operational - ✓ Test automation framework ready - ✓ Integration test readiness confirmed - ✓ Development lead sign-off

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Low unit test coverage allowed to pass - ⚠️ Test environment not properly validated - ⚠️ Insufficient test data prepared

Testing Phase Gate¶

Test Execution Completion¶

Test Cycle Tracking¶

Test execution started as per schedule
Daily test execution status tracked
Test case execution status updated in test management tool
All planned test cases executed
Test execution results documented
Failed test cases analyzed
Blocked test cases resolved or documented
Test execution evidence collected (screenshots, logs)

Test Types Completion¶

Integration testing completed
System testing completed
Functional testing completed
Non-functional testing completed (performance, security, usability)
Regression testing completed
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) completed
End-to-end testing completed
Cross-browser/platform testing completed (if applicable)

Defect Resolution Status¶

Defect Metrics¶

All critical defects resolved and verified
All high priority defects resolved and verified
Medium defects reviewed and resolved/deferred
Low defects reviewed and resolved/deferred
Defect aging analyzed
Defect density calculated
Defect removal efficiency measured
Root cause analysis completed for critical defects

Defect Closure¶

Fixed defects retested and verified
Regression testing performed for defect fixes
Deferred defects documented and approved
Known issues list created
Workarounds documented for known issues
Defect trends analyzed
Final defect triage meeting conducted
Defect summary report created

Test Coverage Metrics¶

Requirements Coverage¶

All requirements traced to test cases
All test cases executed
Requirements Traceability Matrix updated
100% requirements coverage verified
Gaps in coverage analyzed and addressed
Coverage report generated
Coverage reviewed with stakeholders

Code Coverage (if applicable)¶

Code coverage analysis performed
Coverage percentage meets target (e.g., 70-80%)
Uncovered code reviewed and justified
Critical paths fully covered
Code coverage trends analyzed

Functional Coverage¶

Exit Criteria Validation¶

Quality Criteria¶

Test pass rate ≥ 95% (or defined threshold)
No open critical or high severity defects
Medium/low defects at acceptable levels
Performance benchmarks met
Security requirements validated
Usability criteria met
Compatibility requirements verified
Regression test suite passes

Documentation Criteria¶

Sign-off Criteria¶

Test lead approval obtained
QA manager approval obtained
Product owner/business sign-off obtained
Project manager approval obtained
UAT sign-off received
Go/No-go decision documented

Test Summary Report¶

Phase Gate Exit Criteria: - ✓ All planned tests executed - ✓ Test pass rate meets threshold - ✓ Critical/high defects resolved - ✓ Test coverage meets requirements - ✓ Exit criteria validated - ✓ Test summary report approved - ✓ Stakeholder sign-offs obtained - ✓ Go-live approval granted

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Rushing testing phase to meet deadlines - ⚠️ Accepting too many open defects - ⚠️ Inadequate regression testing - ⚠️ Incomplete documentation

Deployment Phase Gate¶

Production Readiness Testing¶

Pre-Deployment Validation¶

Release Package Validation¶

Release package contents verified
Version numbers validated
Release notes reviewed and approved
Installation guide available
User documentation completed
Training materials prepared
Support documentation ready
Known issues list included

Production Deployment Activities¶

User Acceptance Sign-off¶

UAT Completion¶

Business Readiness¶

Post-Deployment Validation¶

Production Verification¶

Production smoke tests passed
Critical business workflows working
Integration with external systems verified
Performance benchmarks validated
Security checks performed
Data integrity verified
User access validated
Monitoring dashboards operational

Hypercare Period Setup¶

Production Monitoring¶

Application monitoring active
Performance monitoring enabled
Error tracking operational
User activity monitoring active
Security monitoring enabled
Alert thresholds configured
Dashboard reporting functional
Log aggregation working

Project Closure Activities¶

Final Documentation¶

Transition to Support¶

Project Sign-off¶

Project completion criteria met
Final stakeholder approval obtained
Project formally closed
Team recognition completed
Post-implementation review scheduled

Phase Gate Exit Criteria: - ✓ Production deployment successful - ✓ Post-deployment validation passed - ✓ UAT sign-off obtained - ✓ Production monitoring active - ✓ Support transition completed - ✓ Project closure activities completed - ✓ Final sign-offs obtained

Common Pitfalls to Avoid: - ⚠️ Insufficient production validation - ⚠️ Inadequate rollback planning - ⚠️ Poor transition to support team - ⚠️ Skipping lessons learned documentation

Continuous Tracking and Metrics¶

Phase Metrics to Track¶

Requirements Phase¶

Requirements review completion rate
Requirements defect density
Testability assessment score

Design Phase¶

Test case development progress
Test case review completion
Requirements coverage percentage

Development Phase¶

Unit test coverage
Code review completion
Build stability rate

Testing Phase¶

Deployment Phase¶

Deployment success rate
Post-deployment defects
Production stability

Quality Gates Dashboard¶

Define KPIs for each phase gate
Create dashboard for tracking
Review metrics weekly
Report to stakeholders monthly
Use metrics for process improvement

Templates¶

Test Plan Template - Master test plan creation
Test Case Template - Detailed test case documentation
Defect Report Template - Comprehensive defect reporting
Test Execution Report Template - Test cycle reporting

Phase Guidance¶

Test Planning Phase - Detailed planning guidance
Test Case Development - Test case design principles
Test Environment Preparation - Environment setup
Test Execution Phase - Execution strategies
Test Results Analysis - Results analysis
Test Results Reporting - Reporting best practices

Examples¶

Examples Directory - Practical examples (coming soon)

Waterfall Testing Methodology - Complete Waterfall methodology
Agile Testing Methodology - Agile practices
Methodology Comparison - Compare different approaches

Best Practices for Phase Gate Success¶

For Project Managers¶

Enforce phase gate discipline rigorously
Don't skip gate reviews to save time
Ensure adequate resources for each phase
Plan for contingency in schedule
Maintain clear documentation

For Test Leads¶

Prepare thoroughly for each gate review
Maintain comprehensive documentation
Track metrics consistently
Communicate risks early
Ensure team readiness for each phase

For Test Team¶

Complete assigned tasks on time
Maintain quality in deliverables
Follow established processes
Document thoroughly
Communicate issues promptly

General Best Practices¶

Plan thoroughly before each phase
Review and validate all deliverables
Maintain traceability throughout
Document everything formally
Obtain proper approvals at each gate
Learn from each phase
Apply lessons to future phases

Checklist Usage Guidelines¶

How to Use This Checklist: 1. Review before starting each project phase 2. Use during phase to track progress 3. Validate completion before phase gate review 4. Customize based on project needs 5. Archive completed checklists for audit

Customization Tips: - Adjust criteria based on project size - Add industry-specific requirements - Scale based on project complexity - Align with organizational standards - Include regulatory requirements

Integration with Project Management: - Align with project milestones - Include in project schedule - Track in project management tools - Report in status meetings - Use for risk management

This checklist is part of the BGSTM (BG Software Testing Methodology) framework. For more information, see the main documentation.