Before choosing a demonstration site, sit down together and agree what the pilot is meant to help you decide.
We propose starting with five questions. They connect the technology discussion with the people who will use, operate and pay for the solution. Use them as a shared agenda, then adapt them to the project.
1. Whose problem are we trying to solve?
Name the intended user, the buyer and the person responsible for day-to-day operation. They may be different people. Discuss the current practice, the difficulty each person experiences and what a useful improvement would look like to them.
A useful output: a short problem statement that both teams can explain in the same way.
2. What does the pilot need to establish?
Separate questions about technical performance from questions about demand and practical use. Choose a small set of observations or measurements, agree how they will be collected and record the starting conditions.
Decide whether you need field trials, laboratory tests, a university research partner or evidence for certification. Confirm the required methods and acceptance criteria with the responsible institution before commissioning work. A successful pilot does not by itself establish certification.
Proteka can accompany site and laboratory discussions, help identify suitable university or testing partners, and coordinate requirements, documents and follow-up. Testing is performed by the laboratory; certification is assessed and issued by the authorised body.
A useful output: agreed success criteria, a measurement plan and a list of questions the pilot will not answer.
3. Who will operate it when we leave?
Discuss routine operation, training, maintenance, spare parts and support. Assign responsibilities to named organisations or roles, including what happens when a problem falls outside the local operator’s capacity.
A useful output: a responsibility map covering the pilot period and the proposed handover.
4. What would a workable business look like?
Set out who pays, what they pay for and which costs recur. Keep measured costs separate from assumptions. Explore what changes when utilisation, maintenance needs or service requirements differ from the initial plan.
A useful output: a simple operating model with visible assumptions to test.
5. What decision comes next?
Agree when the teams will review the evidence and who will take the next decision. Continuing, changing the approach or stopping are all possible outcomes. Record what evidence would support each option.
A useful output: a review date, decision owner and next-step criteria.
A useful pilot starts with a shared question—and ends with a better-informed decision.
These questions are a starting framework, rather than findings from a completed study. Project-specific technical, commercial and regulatory questions still need the relevant expertise.
See how research and ongoing business support can help at an agreed stage of your project.
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