Deployments & Placement Gate
How to create a deployment, clear the 4-point Placement Quality Gate, and manage an engineer's lifecycle from scheduled to deputed to offboarded.
What is a deployment?
A deployment is the record that links an engineer to a client for a specific engagement. It holds:
- The engineer and the client position being filled
- The Account Manager responsible for this engagement
- Start date, expected end date (if known), and allocation percentage
- Current status: Scheduled, Deputed, Ended, or Transferred
An engineer can have at most one active deployment at a time. Creating a deployment for an engineer who is already Deputed requires ending or transferring the existing one first.
Deployment statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Scheduled | The deployment is confirmed but the Placement Quality Gate has not been fully cleared. The engineer's roster status remains Bench. |
| Deputed | All four placement gate checkpoints are cleared. The engineer is actively deployed to this client. |
| Ended | The deployment has concluded. The offboarding checklist is triggered. The engineer returns to Bench status. |
| Transferred | The engineer is being moved to a new client. The current deployment is marked Transferred and a new Scheduled deployment is created for the target client. |
The Placement Quality Gate
The Placement Quality Gate is a 4-point checklist that acts as a hard prerequisite for deputation. It appears in the Placement Gate tab on any deployment in Scheduled status. The four items are:
- Pre-screen completed. An initial evaluation confirming the engineer understands the client context and working arrangements.
- Technical bar passed. A structured technical assessment relevant to the position's required skills.
- Background check cleared. Verification appropriate to the engagement (formal check, reference calls, or both).
- Client alignment confirmed. The client has reviewed the proposed engineer and confirmed they are happy with the placement before it begins.
Each checkbox records the timestamp and the identity of the user who checked it. Until all four are checked, the Mark as Deputed action is unavailable on the deployment.
This gate cannot be bypassed. Master Admins cannot override it from the UI. The intent is that the gate is non-negotiable. If your firm's process legitimately differs for certain types of engagements, contact your administrator to discuss a workflow accommodation.
What happens when the gate is cleared
When all four checkpoints are ticked:
- The Mark as Deputed button activates
- Clicking it transitions the deployment to Deputed status
- The engineer's talent roster status updates from Bench to Deputed
- The onboarding checklist is created for this deployment
- The event is written to the audit log
- The global dashboard's bench vs. deployed headcount updates
Ending a deployment
To end a deployment, open it and click End Deployment. You'll be prompted to set an end date and reason. Ending a deployment:
- Transitions the deployment to Ended status
- Creates the engineer offboarding checklist and the client offboarding checklist
- Returns the engineer to Bench status
- Records the event in the audit log
Transferring an engineer
Use Transfer Deployment when an engineer is moving directly from one client to another without a bench period. This ends the current deployment (with Transfer as the reason) and creates a new Scheduled deployment for the target client. The Placement Quality Gate must be cleared again for the new deployment before the engineer can be marked Deputed with the new client.
Action Center — incomplete gates
The Action Center's "Incomplete Placement Gates" list shows all Scheduled deployments where one or more gate checkpoints are incomplete. This gives anyone with Action Center visibility a real-time view of placements that are blocked from proceeding.