Before entering Stage 4, what must be true?

• A. TSR approved
• B. Proposal generated
• C. Drafting a new proposal
• D. Customer signed off

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that you need a formal plan on the table before moving into Stage 4. A proposal is that plan: it lays out the scope, approach, timeline, and costs, and it’s the document you present to both the customer and internal stakeholders for review and decision. Without a generated proposal, there’s nothing concrete to discuss or approve in Stage 4, so the process can’t advance.

Think of the other steps as preceding or following this point. TSR approval is typically an earlier gating step that can occur before a proposal is ready. Drafting a new proposal happens before the proposal exists in its final, shareable form. Customer sign-off happens after the proposal has been reviewed and agreed upon, not before Stage 4.