AI PoC · Pilot
AI Proof of Concept and Pilot
What is an AI PoC?
- Does the PoC work, and does the pilot hold up?
- Set success and stop criteria in numbers before you start
- Approve the next stage’s owner and budget together
PoC and pilot are often used interchangeably, but they answer different questions. A PoC asks “Does it work technically?” and a pilot asks “Does it run in our organization?” A PoC is a small experiment, run by a few people on sample data and finished in 2–6 weeks. A pilot is a trial run in which one or two departments use the tool in real work for two to three months. Mix the two, and the PoC drags on endlessly while the pilot starts unprepared.
What you need to decide before starting is not the tool but the success criteria and stop criteria. Write them as numbers, such as 'drafting time for a report falls by 30% or more, and reviewers change no more than half of the text,' and agree with the approver that you will shut it down if the criteria are not met. A PoC started without criteria ends with 'we confirmed the potential' whatever the result, leaving no basis for deciding the next stage’s budget. Measure the baseline you will compare against before you start.
A pilot tests operations more than technology: whether users actually use the tool every week, who catches wrong results and how, whether it conflicts with security guidelines, and what accounts and usage will cost if headcount grows. Include one enthusiastic department and one ordinary one so you can gauge the reaction when you scale company-wide. Costs vary with the product version and pricing plan, so record the terms as of the quote date. When the pilot ends, reach one of three conclusions: expand, revise and retry, or end it.
The most common problem is a string of successful PoCs where nothing ever scales. Experiments run on well-prepared sample data with a few enthusiastic people usually succeed. The problem is that the next stage has no owner and no budget. When you approve a PoC, also decide who will run the pilot, and with what budget, if it succeeds. And if you add a new tool on top of participants’ existing workload, you can’t tell whether low usage is the tool’s fault or a lack of time.
John KimInstructor John Kim, author of B2B Marketing Design and CEO of Nanum Consulting
Seolyeong ParkGenerative AI and AX training specialist with 17 years of hands-on experience and 200+ lectures, helping non-technical staff put AI to work right away| Category | PoC (Proof of Concept) | Pilot (trial run) |
|---|---|---|
| Question it answers | Does it technically work for this task? | Does it actually work in our organization? |
| Scope of participation | A few people, sample data | One or two departments, real work |
| Duration | 2–6 weeks | Two to three months |
| What it checks | Output quality and accuracy | Usage rate, review process, security, cost |
| Decide at the end | Move to a pilot or shut it down | Expand company-wide, fix, or shut down |
Proof of concept and pilot are long-standing stages in new technology and product development and in information system rollouts. The terms have no single originator; they became standard practice, and companies carry the same distinction straight into AI adoption.
Consider a hypothetical case. D Co., a construction materials distributor with 420 employees, ran five AI proof-of-concept projects over the past year. Each was reported as “feasibility confirmed,” yet none is used in actual work, and the company was asked to explain why during the next year’s budget review.
- The planning team lead picked just one task, drafting quotes, and set up the PoC again. The approval document stated 'drafting time cut by 30% or more, review revision rate at or below 20%, shut down if not met,' and the head of sales signed it.
- Three members of the sales support team ran a four-week experiment using a sample of 60 quotes from last quarter. They had timed each quote for a week before starting, and the average was 42 minutes.
- The PoC came in at 25 minutes per case with a 14% revision rate, clearing the bar. The division head said, "Then let’s try it for real at two branches," and assigned the pilot budget and an owner on the spot.
- The pilot ran for 10 weeks with 28 people at two branches: one motivated branch in the Seoul metropolitan area and one average regional branch. At the regional branch, weekly usage fell to 35% by week 3, so the branch manager adjusted the weekly target.
- After 10 weeks, average usage across the two branches was 71%, and the time to write each document fell from 42 to 27 minutes. A rollout plan that included account costs was approved, and the program was extended to all nine branches.