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In our prior articles we outline the best practices to follow in advance of a POC as well as a checklist for a successful POC. In this article we explore best practices once the POC trial period has ended. Remember that the goal of a POC trial is to not only prove the value of machine learning to your organization but to also actively deploy ML to help drive your business going forward.

Our team at Lityx have worked closely with businesses to help them choose the right POC problem and conduct successful POC trials and we know that helping gain internal adoption post-trial is perhaps the most important step in the process. Best practices once the POC is complete include:

Prepare your report and the all-important internal “road show.”

You are not done until you have effectively communicated the results. Preparing your report with two key audiences in mind, your stakeholders, and internal influencers. Keep in mind that it is important to explain the results in a manner that is easily understood. This means that a non-technical overview is critical knowing that you can go in depth with those requiring a more technical analysis.

Take your report to key audiences with a well-crafted internal road show that clearly illustrates the problem addressed, the process undertaken, and the results yielded. Take the time to involve your key stakeholders and gain their buy-in on the results and recommended next steps before sharing with a wider audience.

Show how your POC results impact an existing corporate priority

In the POC selection process you focused on a problem that was of high importance to your organization and, if solved, would have a clear monetary impact. In your reporting it is now time to connect the POC results directly to the organization priority while illustrating the actual or potential dollar impact on the business. This is a critical step in gaining buy-in for further exploration or greenlighting a deployment.

Clearly illustrate the action needed to drive adoption

You are not done with your POC until you have outlined the key next steps to apply the POC learning organizationally. The road show is your opportunity to also gain support for moving from a POC to production. Involve your POC team members and stakeholders from other lines of business to create an initial roadmap of next steps that may include:

  • Recommendations for further testing
  • A roadmap to production and implementation
  • Resource needs including staff, vendor support and budget
  • Related problems for additional POC trials

Conduct a post POC Vendor evaluation

What is the working experience like including customer success with the platform vendor? Was the platform easy to use or learn? Did the capabilities and tool set meet expectations? Where is improvement needed?

Evaluating the platform and the vendor at the conclusion of your POC will save time with future efforts as well as support a more complete POC analysis and report. Be sure to get input from all those involved and provide recommendations.

We look forward to supporting your POC efforts. If you’d like to have an initial discussion to explore possibilities or ask questions please visit our POC special offer page here.

Read Part 1: Key Questions for a Successful POC

Read Part 2: Checklist for a Successful Proof of Concept (POC)