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Methodology

Pilot Phase

The pilot phase is the staged build of a working AI system on a narrow, real workflow with real data, evaluated against success criteria agreed in discovery.

What is Pilot Phase?

A pilot is not a demo. It runs on production-shape data, produces auditable outputs, and is measured by the same metrics that will govern the live system. A typical pilot lasts 4-8 weeks and ends with a decision: promote, iterate, or stop. The pilot phase de-risks both technical assumptions and organisational fit before larger investment.

How does Pilot Phase apply to enterprise AI?

Enterprise AI procurement increasingly insists on a paid pilot before a long-term contract. The pilot is the cheapest insurance against shipping a system that does not survive contact with real users.

Related terms

Methodology

Discovery Phase

The discovery phase is the first stage of an AI engagement, in which scope, data, workflows, success criteria, and constraints are mapped before any system is built.
Methodology

Production Phase

The production phase is the deployment, operation, and continuous improvement of an AI system in live use, with the controls and monitoring required for the workflow's risk class.
Production

Evaluation Harness

An evaluation harness is the test framework used to measure an AI system against a fixed set of inputs, expected outputs, and metrics, run on every change.

External references

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