Overview #
Milestones define how progress is measured and delivered during your project with Shopstars. Each milestone is a checkpoint with specific outputs, approval steps, and quality standards. Milestones, QA (quality assurance), and sign-off procedures are tracked in your dedicated Basecamp project to provide visibility and accountability for both teams.
Clients should use this article as the reference for understanding how deliverables are planned, how quality is verified, and how sign-off works before work moves forward or goes live.
Milestones in Basecamp #
At the start of every project, milestones are mapped into Basecamp. Each milestone includes:
- A title that clearly describes the deliverable (for example, “Theme Development – Homepage and PDP” or “Pixel Setup – Verification”)
- A list of associated To-Dos broken down by task and assigned to a responsible owner
- A due date agreed during project planning
- Notes detailing dependencies, such as client approvals or required assets
Milestones are not abstract markers. They represent real deliverables that must be completed, tested, and approved before the project proceeds to the next phase. All milestone tracking is visible in Basecamp, and weekly status updates reference their progress.
Quality Assurance (QA) Standards #
No milestone is marked complete until it has passed QA. Shopstars applies three levels of QA:
Technical QA
- Verifies that code is stable, efficient, and free of regressions
- Confirms integrations with APIs, payment gateways, or third-party systems function as expected
- Validates that events such as pixels and GA4 triggers are firing correctly
Design QA
- Ensures implementation matches approved mockups and brand guidelines
- Checks consistency across devices and browsers
- Reviews typography, spacing, imagery, and other design details for alignment
Performance QA
- Tests page speed, Core Web Vitals, and responsiveness
- Confirms that load times, image optimization, and mobile usability meet agreed benchmarks
- Identifies and documents any bottlenecks for further optimization
QA results are logged directly in Basecamp as comments under the relevant To-Dos. If issues are found, tasks are reassigned until they are resolved.
Client Review and Sign-Off #
After internal QA, the deliverable is submitted to the client for review. The Project Manager creates a post in Basecamp linking to the staging environment, screenshots, or documentation. The client then reviews and provides one of three responses directly in Basecamp:
- Approved: The deliverable is accepted, and the milestone is marked complete
- Changes Required: Feedback is logged as comments, and the milestone remains open until adjustments are made and re-approved
- On Hold: Work is paused due to external factors such as missing assets, budget discussions, or dependency delays
Verbal approvals or Slack confirmations are not sufficient. Final approvals must always be documented in Basecamp to maintain a clear record.
Launch Readiness #
For milestones related to launch, such as a theme deployment or major integration, an additional regression QA is performed in the live environment. This step ensures that approved deliverables behave correctly after DNS updates, app activations, or configuration changes. Only after successful regression testing and client sign-off is the launch considered complete.
Final Acceptance #
When all milestones are complete and approved, the Project Manager prepares a final acceptance summary in Basecamp. This includes:
- A list of completed milestones with links to their records
- A log of client approvals
- A record of any deferred tasks or follow-up items moved to ongoing support
The client reviews the summary and provides a final sign-off in Basecamp. At that point, the project is formally closed or transitioned into an Operate plan for ongoing work.
Key Principles #
- Every milestone must be represented in Basecamp with To-Dos, owners, and due dates
- QA is mandatory; no work moves forward without passing technical, design, and performance checks
- Approvals and sign-off must be logged in Basecamp, not in Slack or email
- Final acceptance is based on milestone completion and documented approvals, creating a full audit trail
