Technology decisions
Give your technology pilot a decision to make.
Define the decision, comparison and evidence before a pilot starts so a promising trial can lead to a clear next step.
Consider a hypothetical operations team trialling a new workflow tool with six enthusiastic volunteers. The demonstrations go well and the users like it. At the end of the month, however, the leadership team still cannot decide whether to adopt it. The trial produced activity and positive comments, but it was never designed to answer a specific business question.
Start with the decision
Write down the decision that the pilot is intended to support. It might be to adopt the tool for one process, extend the trial to resolve a named uncertainty, or stop because the operating change is not worthwhile. Name the accountable decision owner and the date by which the evidence will be reviewed.
Keep the scope narrow enough to learn something useful. “Test the platform” is not a decision. “Decide whether this tool should replace the shared inbox for routine service requests” gives the team a process, audience and outcome to examine.
Record the current route
Observe how the work is completed today before introducing the trial. Capture only the comparison points that matter to the decision: where requests wait, which handovers create rework, what information is missing and how much staff attention the task needs.
Use available evidence without pretending it is more precise than it is. A short sample of timestamps, error categories and staff observations can be enough for a focused pilot when the limits are stated. The aim is a fair comparison, not a large measurement exercise.
Include normal work and an awkward case
Choose representative work rather than only the easiest examples. Include the common route and at least one exception that matters operationally: incomplete information, a priority request, a change of owner or a customer who replies through a different channel.
Define what remains outside the trial. If the new tool does not yet cover sensitive requests, integrations or out-of-hours work, make that boundary visible. A successful result within a limited scope should not be presented as proof that every case is ready.
- Which work will enter the pilot?
- Which exception must it handle?
- Which cases remain on the current route?
- What would cause the pilot to pause?
Turn observations into a decision
At the agreed review point, compare the trial with the current route. Bring together the observed workflow, recurring corrections, user feedback, operating ownership and the effort required to scale. Separate evidence from assumptions and note which uncertainty still matters to the decision.
Finish with an explicit outcome: adopt within a defined boundary, extend to test one unresolved condition, change the approach, or stop. Record why. An extension should have a new question and end date rather than becoming an open-ended pilot.
Rethink’s technology second opinion can help shape a decision-ready pilot before supplier enthusiasm becomes momentum. Where the decision is to proceed, longer-term delivery support can help turn the evidence into a workable implementation and adoption plan.