Innovation Process: Marrying Agile With Phase Gates

Agile and phase gate may seem diametrically opposed approaches to product management. Many firms apply the phase-gate philosophy with rigor and an overly defined process and approach agile with flexibility and a lack of rigor. Many product leaders realize the drawbacks of operating at either extreme and are looking for a middle ground that can provide the best of both approaches. This report defines and examines the benefits and drawbacks of agile and phase-gate approaches to product management and discusses ways to combine them.