A pilot project is the testing of a solution on a limited scale before it is fully deployed. It makes sense whenever the solution is new, expensive, or dependent on conditions that are hard to estimate in advance. A usable pilot has four features: a success criterion determined in advance and expressed as a number, a scope limited to one team, one operation, or one territory, a fixed deadline after which a decision is made, and a recorded baseline state to allow comparison. Without a criterion, the pilot turns into endless testing that no one ends and that blocks the decision. In grant schemes, pilot status is sometimes even a condition of support, with the expectation that the results will be shared and the proven approach can be transferred elsewhere too.
See also: Testing before investment, Return on AI investment, Measurable project indicators.
