POC/Pilot Win Plan Template
A structured template that turns a technical proof-of-concept into a mutually agreed success plan with named owners, measurable criteria, and a go/no-go decision framework — so it converts instead of stalling.
What's inside
- Overview and parties block
- Business objective statement field
- Success criteria table: metric, baseline, target, measurement method, data source, owner
- Scope and explicit out-of-scope fields
- Timeline/milestone table for a 4-6 week pilot
- Roles and responsibilities table (vendor vs. customer)
- Weekly checkpoint agenda template
- Exit criteria and go/no-go decision framework
- Sign-off block
Most pilots stall not because the product failed, but because nobody defined what "success" meant before starting. This template forces that definition up front, in writing, signed by both sides.
Overview
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Customer | |
| Vendor | |
| Pilot start date | |
| Pilot end date (hard stop) | |
| Executive sponsor (customer) | |
| Executive sponsor (vendor) | |
| Day-to-day owner (customer) | |
| Day-to-day owner (vendor) |
Business objective
In one sentence: what business problem is this pilot meant to prove we can solve?
Objective: _________________________________________________
Success criteria
Every criterion needs a number, a way to measure it, and a named owner — "it went well" is not a criterion.
| Metric | Baseline (today) | Target (by pilot end) | Measurement method | Data source | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aim for 3-5 criteria. More than 5 and the pilot loses focus; fewer than 3 and a single bad week can sink an otherwise successful pilot.
Scope
In scope for this pilot: - - -
Explicitly out of scope (will not be evaluated in this pilot): - - -
Timeline and milestones
| Week | Milestone | Owner | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Environment set up, data connected, users provisioned | ||
| Week 2 | Core workflow live, initial usage begins | ||
| Week 3 | Mid-pilot checkpoint — review criteria trend, adjust if needed | ||
| Week 4 | Full usage period, data collection against all criteria | ||
| Week 5 (if 5-6wk pilot) | Continued usage / stabilization | ||
| Final week | Results review meeting, go/no-go decision |
Roles and responsibilities
| Responsibility | Vendor | Customer |
|---|---|---|
| Environment/technical setup | ✓ | Provide access/credentials |
| Training end users | ✓ | Ensure attendance |
| Data/reporting against success criteria | ✓ | Validate accuracy |
| Weekly checkpoint attendance | ✓ | ✓ |
| Escalation of blockers within 24 hours | ✓ | ✓ |
| Final decision on go/no-go | ✓ |
Weekly checkpoint agenda (recurring, 30 min)
- Status against each success criterion (2 min per metric)
- Blockers raised this week and resolution owner
- Any scope creep or out-of-scope requests — flag and park
- Confirm next week's milestone is on track
- Action items with owners and dates
Exit criteria and decision framework
Go (convert to full deployment) if:
- At least 4 of 5 (or all, if only 3-4 defined) success criteria are met or exceeded
- No unresolved critical blocker remains open
- Executive sponsor on the customer side confirms business case still holds
No-go (do not proceed) if:
- Fewer than half of success criteria were met, with no credible plan to close the gap
- A critical blocker (security, integration, data) remains unresolved at pilot end
Extend (add a defined additional period, not indefinite) if:
- Criteria are trending toward target but need more time/data to confirm
- A specific, named blocker has a clear resolution date within 2 weeks
An extension must have its own new end date and its own go/no-go criteria — an open-ended "let's keep going" extension is a no-go in disguise.
Sign-off
| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer executive sponsor | |||
| Vendor executive sponsor |
How to use it
Complete this template jointly with the customer before the pilot starts, get both executive sponsors to sign the success criteria and exit framework, and run the weekly checkpoint agenda every week so the go/no-go decision at the end is a formality, not a surprise.