Entry and exit criteria for product development should be used to determine

Entry and exit criteria define the conditions required to start and complete a development phase. In software quality engineering, these criteria help ensure that work products are sufficiently complete, reviewed, tested, approved, and controlled before the project moves forward. Exit criteria may include completed reviews, resolved critical defects, approved deliverables, updated traceability, and successful testing. Entry criteria for the next phase confirm that the required inputs are available and acceptable. These criteria support lifecycle discipline and reduce the risk of carrying unresolved defects or incomplete work into later stages. While they may indirectly support compliance and schedule control, their direct purpose is to determine whether one phase is complete and the next phase can begin.

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