Pilot projects ensure quicker learnings and better success in the future.

Initiatives that require large changes to people, processes and technology can be difficult to do well, but taking small steps can be a good way to get started for many reasons.

We often talk about doing pilot projects in order to gain quicker learnings and have greater opportunities for long-term success. Despite this, there isn’t nearly as much written about exactly how to approach those pilot projects.

In this article, I’m going to talk through three key things to keep in mind as you plan and execute a pilot project for your next large initiative.

Keep Your Scope Limited But Meaningful

Let’s start with a concept that is deceptively simple. We need to limit the scope of a pilot project to be able to be accomplished in a relatively short amount of time, yet of high enough priority that its results are significant to key stakeholders. Oh, and also wrapped up in that is the inherent idea that the results of the pilot must be measurable and align with KPIs that are meaningful to the executive(s) who sponsored it. Let’s unpack this a little bit more.