Stage management

What are stages

Stages are high-level phases that track the lifecycle of launches and milestones. Unlike milestones (which are specific deliverables), stages represent broad phases of work like "Discovery", "Implementation", or "Launch".

Key differences

  • Stages: high-level phases (Discovery, Implementation, Launch)

  • Milestones: specific deliverables within those phases (PRD complete, Beta testing done)

Luna supports separate stage systems for launches and milestones, each with their own categories and workflows.

Stage categories

Launch stage categories

  • Backlog: launches requested and added to the backlog

  • Not Started: planned launches not yet started

  • In Progress: active launches being worked on

  • Completed: launched features (won't be marked overdue, excluded from in-progress reports)

  • Closed: cancelled or discontinued launches

Milestone stage categories

  • Not Started: milestones not yet begun

  • In Progress: milestones actively being worked on

  • In Review: milestones requiring approver attention (triggers pending action notifications)

  • Completed: finished milestones

Default stages

Luna provides predefined stages when you create a new workspace, with some stages being editable and others fixed:

Launch stages

  • Examples of editable stages: To be prioritized, Discovery & planning, Setup essentials, Development, Enablement, Beta, Post launch implementation ..

  • Non-editable stages: Not started, Kickoff, Planning & scoping, Implementation, Marketing readiness, Launched

Milestone stages (non-editable): Not started, In progress, In review, Completed

Create and manage stages

Create new stages

  1. Go to Settings > Stage Management

  2. Click "+ Create new stage"

  3. Enter stage name

  4. Select or drag the stage into the appropriate category

  5. Save the stage

Order stages

  • Drag and drop stages within categories or between categories

Edit and delete stages

  • Edit stage names and categories anytime

  • Delete custom stages (some default stages cannot be deleted)

Template stages

Set up template stages

  1. When creating or editing a template, define the stage sequence

  2. Template stages determine what stages are available for launches created from this template

  3. Users creating launches from templates inherit the predefined stage flow

Blank template stages

  • Launches created "from scratch" use the "blank template" stage configuration

  • Configure blank template stages in Settings > Stage Management

  • This sets the default stage options for ad-hoc launch creation

Predefine milestones under stages

From Stage Management, you can predefine standard milestones for each stage:

Example:

  • Stage: "Marketing Readiness"

  • Predefined milestones: Landing page copy, Email campaign, Social media assets

Set up predefined milestones

  1. In Settings > Stage Management, click on a stage

  2. Add standard milestones that should appear whenever this stage is used

  3. When users create launches (via template or blank), these milestones are automatically added

  4. Users can edit, delete, or add more milestones as needed

Update stages in Launch Details Page

  • Blank launches (created from scratch): users can change the list of stages freely in the launch details page

  • ⚠️ Template launches: stages are fixed based on the template and cannot be edited in launch details

Stage change impacts

  • Removing a stage: if you remove a stage that has milestones, those milestones move to an "Other milestones" section (uncategorized)

  • Stage requirements: every launch must have at least one "Not Started" and one "Completed" stage available

Stage-based workflows and automation

Workflows

  • Stages can trigger custom workflows that you define e.g., “When milestone reaches "In Progress" stage → Create a Jira epic”

  • Configure workflows using the hamburger menu of the launch or milestone in the Launch Details Page and selecting "Set workflows".

Notifications

Stage changes can trigger notifications that you enable in Settings > Notifications (examples: receive a notification when “Launch stage is changed”, “Milestone stage is part of the 'Completed' category” ..)

Built-in stage behaviors

Some stage behaviors are automatic:

  • Launches in "Completed" category are excluded from overdue tracking and progress reports

  • Milestones in "Completed" category are excluded from overdue tracking and progress reports

  • Milestones in "In Review" stage create pending actions and notifications for approvers

Stage management best practices

Launch stages should reflect your workflow:

  • Map stages to actual phases your team follows

  • Use consistent naming across templates

  • Align stages with team responsibilities

Use stage categories strategically:

  • "Completed" category affects reporting and overdue tracking

  • "In Review" category creates pending actions for approvers

  • Stage categories drive Luna's automated workflows

Template organization:

  • Create templates with logical stage sequences

  • Use predefined milestones to standardize deliverables

  • Configure blank template stages for ad-hoc launches

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