Pilot

A pilot is a deliberately limited production rollout: one line, one site, one month of observation. It differs from a free trial by its method: success criteria are defined in advance (calls recovered, appointments booked, notes left by customers), data is measured during, and a decision — scale up or stop — is made afterward, on numbers.

The pilot is also the most honest moment in a vendor relationship: a salesperson who refuses to define measurable criteria, or presents the pilot as a formality before the subscription, is telling you something. Conversely, a well-run pilot protects both parties: you know whether the tool keeps its promises on YOUR calls, the vendor proves their claims — and the period's dashboard grounds the decision in data, not feelings.