What is the primary purpose of a quality gate?

The primary purpose of a quality gate is to provide oversight and early visibility into potential risks and issues during the project lifecycle. Quality gates are critical checkpoints that assess whether certain criteria and quality standards have been met before progressing to subsequent project phases. By identifying potential problems early on, teams can implement corrective actions, make informed decisions, and ultimately enhance the likelihood of successful project outcomes. This proactive approach to quality management helps ensure that the final product meets both business and technical requirements.

The other options focus on aspects that, while important to project management and team dynamics, do not specifically capture the essence of what a quality gate is designed to achieve. Setting deadlines relates to project scheduling, ensuring team alignment speaks to communication and collaboration, and assessing customer satisfaction typically occurs post-project, rather than during the iterative phases governed by quality gates.