Pilottest

A pilottest is a small-scale, preliminary run of a new product, process, or system conducted before a full-scale deployment. The goal is to validate feasibility, identify technical or operational issues, estimate resources and timelines, and refine procedures based on real-world data. Pilots are commonly used in software development, manufacturing, service design, and research to reduce risk and improve decision making.

A pilottest typically has a defined scope, a limited group of users or sites, explicit objectives, and predefined success criteria. It runs for a limited period, after which collected metrics are analyzed to determine whether to proceed, adjust, or halt the project. Data collected may include performance, reliability, user satisfaction, and process compliance.

Process: Plan the pilot with clear goals, success metrics, and a cutover plan. Execute with real users or customers in a controlled environment. Monitor and collect quantitative and qualitative feedback. Evaluate results against criteria, document lessons learned, and decide on next steps. Ensure governance, privacy, and risk controls are in place, and have a back-out plan if the pilot encounters critical issues.

Examples: A software company releases a new feature to a small percentage of users; a hospital tests a new electronic health record module in one department; a manufacturer pilots a new assembly line in one facility.

Relation to pilot studies: pilottest is closely related to a pilot study but is often used in industry contexts to distinguish practical deployment tests from academic experiments. Advantages include reduced risk and faster learning; limitations include possible non-representative results.