Are you prepared with the information needed to run your next successful pilot?
Today’s post is from our SafeSourcing Archives
New programs, software, tools and suppliers all come with risks due to the unknown factors that could affect how your business runs. Many times this is why businesses choose to run pilots so that they can evaluate the team they are working with, the program or solution they are introducing and whether or not the effectiveness of those solutions is worth the impact it will make on the business in order to fully implement it. Today’s blog will cover some of those areas that should be considered to run a successful pilot.
The pilot team – The team that is selected to run a pilot is important. They need to have a vested interest in the outcome for their department and have knowledge of how the company will use the tool or program so that they can score its effectiveness. At least one member of the team should have had experience with running a pilot program so that they can guide any of the other members who have not. Above all else, these team members need to have passion and excitement about the outcome. Putting team members on the team who it as just another thing they have to do will produce a result that may not benefit the company.
Test the result not the tool – So many times companies get caught up in scorecards that quantify features and functions of a program or solution, which they forget to evaluate these things against the eventual goal, which is how well a program will provide a solution to an issue for the company. Scoring how a software solution operates on a mobile tablet device may be one piece of information evaluated but when it is based in a need to be filled because the company’s managers are on the floor and they need to be able to do 3 particular functions, then the scoring becomes relevant and can be weighted based on how important this need is.
Share the progress…..often – Good pilots often fail because the people who will eventually make a final decision or have executive ownership are not kept in the loop on the progress. Whether the progress is good or not as good as expected, most executives would rather know where things stand sooner rather than later because they see the big picture. They know other things that are happening within the company that the pilot team may not and not having insight into the progress early can affect many other areas of the company. The other benefit to sharing progress is to generate excitement within the company in anticipation of the time the program or solution eventually gets rolled out to the rest of the organization.
For more information on how SafeSourcing can help you with your sourcing pilot programs or on our “Risk Free” trial program, please contact a SafeSourcing Customer Service Representative. We have an entire customer services team waiting to assist you today.
We look forward to your comments.
