Ship or No-Ship

Type: Release decision

Definition

Ship or No-Ship is the Stage 6 decision in the Kelly software factory. After the TEA audit, the operator makes the final call: SHIP (send to production) or NO-SHIP (hold, do not release).

How It Works

After the TEA audit produces its outcome (PASS / PASS-WITH-FOLLOWUPS / REMEDIATE):
- PASS: Operator ships — clean release
- PASS-WITH-FOLLOWUPS: Operator ships with tracked followups — accountability without delay
- REMEDIATE: Operator holds — must fix before release

The operator receives the TEA report and makes the call. This is a human decision, not automated.

The NO-SHIP Rationale

NO-SHIP is not failure — it's a quality gate holding. A NO-SHIP means the TEA audit surfaced issues that require resolution before release. This is the gate working correctly.