TABLE OF CONTENTS Piloting processes is much like testing software. You wouldn't put software into an operational environment without ensuring that it functions properly first. Processes should be piloted on a project, or somehow within the organization, prior to being added to the organization's process repository. It is important to ensure that the process will work in a real situation instead of just in theory. There will be situations where a pilot is not called for based upon the size, scope, or type of action or issue being resolved. This is a judgment that should be made during the Action Planning and approved by the Process Group.
A project or individual in an organization should be selected as the target pilot. This process should be accomplished during the Action Planning step.
The piloting plan can change as a result of events that impact a project or individual in a way that cannot support the pilot any longer, so a PAT needs to be prepared to select another project or individual if feasible. An alternative is to simulate the process execution; this will especially apply when a process or part of a process is not used extensively or very much of the time.
If not feasible, the Process Group can make the decision to implement the process or not for the rest of the organization depending upon what the impact will be to the organization. All issues, risks, and concerns should be weighed to make that decision.
Several things should be considered...
