Never deploy new technology to everyone at once. Test with a small group first to identify problems before they affect your entire business.
What is a Pilot Test?
A pilot test is a small-scale trial of new technology with a limited group of users before full company-wide deployment.
Goal: Find and fix problems when stakes are low.
Why Pilot Test?
Benefits:
- Discover issues before they impact everyone
- Get real user feedback
- Refine processes and training
- Build confidence in the solution
- Create internal champions
- Minimize business disruption
Cost of Skipping:
- Everyone struggles simultaneously
- Business operations disrupted
- Expensive to reverse course
- Team loses confidence in IT decisions
Selecting Pilot Users
Who to Include
Good Pilot Users:
- Tech-savvy employees - Learn quickly, provide good feedback
- Patient people - Tolerate issues during testing
- Diverse roles - Test different use cases
- Representative users - Typical skill levels
- Champions - Enthusiastic about new tools
Size:
- Solo business: Just you
- Small team (5-10 people): 2-3 users
- Larger team: 10-20% of users
Avoid:
- Critical deadline periods
- Employees resistant to change (save for later)
- Only tech-savvy users (not representative)
Pilot Test Plan
Phase 1: Preparation (Week 1)
Setup:
- Configure system for pilot group
- Create test accounts
- Import sample data
- Set up integrations (if any)
Documentation:
- Quick start guide
- FAQ document
- Support contact info
- Known issues list
Communication:
- Explain why they're chosen
- Set expectations (it's a test)
- Explain feedback process
- Establish support channel
Phase 2: Training (Week 1-2)
Initial Training:
- 1-2 hour hands-on session
- Cover essential features
- Walk through common workflows
- Practice with real scenarios
Ongoing Support:
- Daily check-ins (first week)
- Quick tips via email/chat
- Office hours for questions
- Dedicated support person
Phase 3: Real Use (Week 2-4)
Guidelines:
- Use for actual work (not just playing)
- Document problems encountered
- Suggest improvements
- Compare to old system
Monitoring:
- Track usage daily
- Note error patterns
- Collect feedback regularly
- Address blockers immediately
Phase 4: Evaluation (Week 4)
Feedback Session:
- Group discussion
- Individual surveys
- Specific questions:
- What worked well?
- What was confusing?
- What's missing?
- Would you recommend to colleagues?
- Scale 1-10: How ready for full rollout?
Decision:
- Go: Proceed to full rollout
- Iterate: Fix issues, extend pilot
- Abort: Solution doesn't work, try different vendor
What to Test
Functional Testing
- Does each feature work as expected?
- Can users complete key workflows?
- Do integrations work properly?
- Is data accurate?
User Experience
- Is it intuitive?
- Where do users get stuck?
- How long to learn basics?
- Is mobile app usable?
Performance
- Is it fast enough?
- Any lag or delays?
- Works with Suriname internet speed?
- Offline capability (if needed)?
Support
- Is documentation helpful?
- How responsive is vendor support?
- Can issues be resolved quickly?
- Are workarounds acceptable?
Business Impact
- Saves time vs old method?
- Improves accuracy?
- Enables new capabilities?
- Worth the cost?
Common Pilot Issues
Technical Problems
Examples:
- Software doesn't work as expected
- Integration fails
- Performance issues
- Data import problems
Resolution:
- Work with vendor support
- Document workarounds
- Decide if blockers or manageable
User Resistance
Examples:
- "Old way was better"
- "This is too complicated"
- "I don't have time to learn"
Resolution:
- Listen to concerns
- Provide more training
- Show concrete benefits
- Get feedback on improvements
Incomplete Features
Examples:
- Missing expected functionality
- Workflow doesn't match real needs
- Can't do critical task
Resolution:
- Check if feature exists (just not found)
- Workaround possible?
- Dealbreaker or temporary issue?
Success Criteria
Define before starting. Example:
âś“ Must Have:
- All key workflows work correctly
- 80%+ of users find it "easy" or "very easy"
- Critical data imports successfully
- Support response < 24 hours
âś“ Should Have:
- Saves 2+ hours/week per user
- Zero data loss incidents
- Mobile app works well
- Users prefer to old system
Threshold: Meet all "must haves" and 3 of 4 "should haves" to proceed.
Documenting Results
Pilot Report Template:
__CODE_BLOCK_9__Pilot Test Checklist
Before Launch:
- Pilot users selected and briefed
- System configured and tested
- Training materials prepared
- Support process established
- Success criteria defined
- Feedback mechanism ready
During Pilot:
- Daily check-ins (first week)
- Issues logged and tracked
- Feedback collected regularly
- Blockers addressed promptly
- Usage monitored
- Wins documented
After Pilot:
- Final feedback session
- Pilot report completed
- Issues categorized (fix/workaround/accept)
- Training materials updated
- Go/no-go decision made
- Plan for full rollout (if proceeding)
When to Abort
Red Flags:
- Critical features don't work
- Vendor unresponsive to major issues
- Data integrity problems
- Majority of users strongly negative
- Significantly over budget (hidden costs)
- Performance unacceptable
Remember: Better to stop now than force bad solution on everyone.
When to Extend Pilot
Good Reasons:
- Issues identified but fixable
- Need more training approach refinement
- Want to test additional use cases
- Vendor releasing fix soon
- Users need more time to learn
Typical Extension: 1-2 additional weeks
Success Story Example
Company: Small import/export business in Paramaribo Tool: Cloud inventory management Pilot: 2 users for 3 weeks
Results:
- Found mobile app crashed offline (fixed by vendor)
- Identified need for USD/SRD toggle
- Refined training to focus on key workflows
- Users saved 3 hours/week each
Outcome: Successful full rollout to all 5 users
Next Steps
After successful pilot:
→ Rollout Strategy - Plan full deployment → User Onboarding - Train everyone
A pilot test is insurance against expensive mistakes. Spend 2-4 weeks testing to avoid months of problems.