Assembling a phase gate review package (SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR) by hand costs 160 engineer-hours per review (two engineers for two weeks), four to eight times a year: $13,600 to $27,200 annually at an $85/hour loaded rate. The fix is keeping requirements, budgets, risks, and gates in one system so the package is generated from live data, not assembled.
What do phase gate reviews require?
Phase gate reviews are the heartbeat of mission engineering programs. SRR, PDR, CDR, TRR. Each one requires a deliverable package that shows requirements status, budget margins, risk posture, and gate readiness across every subsystem.
How are review packages assembled today?
On most programs, assembling this package is a manual process. Pull the requirements status from DOORS or a spreadsheet. Copy the mass budget from one Excel file and the power budget from another. Screenshot the risk matrix. Paste everything into PowerPoint. Cross-reference the numbers to make sure nothing contradicts. Format it to match the template your review board expects.
What does manual review assembly cost?
Two engineers. Two weeks. Every review cycle. That is 160 engineer-hours per review, four to eight times per year. For a team billing at $85/hour fully loaded, that is $13,600 to $27,200 per year in labor just to assemble the review package. Not to do the engineering work the review is supposed to evaluate.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Engineers per package | 2 |
| Time per review | 2 weeks (160 engineer-hours) |
| Reviews per year | 4–8 |
| Fully loaded rate | $85/hour |
| Annual assembly labor | $13,600–$27,200 |
How can the package be generated instead of assembled?
The fix is not a better PowerPoint template. It is having all the data in one place so the deliverable can be generated, not assembled. When requirements, budgets, risks, and phase gates live in the same system, the review package is a one-click export. The numbers are current because they come from the live data. The trace is complete because the system maintains it.