The pilot tests whether [users] can use [workflow] with [AI capability] to support [specific decision], under [limits].
Pilot planning tool
30-day AI pilot entry criteria
A pilot earns its place when it has real users, a defined decision, controlled inputs and a clear scale, iterate or stop gate.
When to use this
Use this after an opportunity or prototype has been identified and before calling it a 30-day pilot. It helps a team decide whether it is ready for controlled use.
- 01
A named pilot owner and cohort
Identify who is accountable for the pilot and which users will take part. A pilot without an owner or a defined user group cannot produce a reliable operating decision.
- 02
A bounded operational question
State the workflow, expected benefit, input, output and the point where a person decides or acts. Avoid treating broad adoption as the first experiment.
- 03
Known data and integration boundaries
Document the inputs, source systems, personal or confidential data, access rights, supplier dependencies and the route for handling poor or missing inputs.
- 04
Usable human oversight
Define who reviews an output, how they challenge or override it, what happens when the service is unavailable and how an incident or user concern reaches an owner.
- 05
Feedback and measurement
Choose what will be observed: completion, quality, exceptions, user feedback, safety concerns, cost or another project-specific measure. Do not use a pilot to manufacture an outcome claim.
- 06
A close-out decision
Set a review date and authority for scale, iterate, pause or stop. Record the assumptions and exclusions so that a pilot result is not overstated as general deployment evidence.
Working prompts to adapt
If the output is uncertain, unavailable or challenged, [role] will [review/override/escalate] using [evidence or process].
On [date], [owner] will review [measures and evidence] and decide to [scale/iterate/pause/stop].