Aspiring SE Tip #2: Prudent Steps for your Proof of Concept
Quality POC’s are purposeful and lead to the Technical Win.
The following are critical elements of a successful Proof of Concept:
Current State
Describe the current situation that is driving the need for PoC. This should come directly from the customer through Discovery.
Desired State
Describing the agreed up future state of where the customer expects to be within their project timeframe.
Customer Business Initiatives
What are the customer’s business objectives of the PoC, and how will the POC tie back to these.
Proof of Concept Objectives
What are the PoC objectives. Top 3-5 solution workflows we would prove out in the PoC — not features list.
Success Criteria
What will make the PoC successful, why and impact to customer. What does success look like for the customer. This is critical to be able to get to a successful “Technical Closure”.
Scope
Document what should/needs to be ready before we start the POC engagement and call out what will be provided based off the agreed effort. Get agreement from the customer before these kicks off.
Roles and Responsibilities
Define who will own each part of the POC, including when folks from the customer side are needed to move pieces forward.
PoC Deliverables
Any data results, documentation, demo, or presentation delivered from the PoC effort. With high-level timelines of the key milestones.
PoC Closure
Define upfront how you will bring the PoC to a close (technical meetings, executive close meeting, end of PoC meeting).
Ready to Join NAASE?
Join the premier community for Sales Engineers to network, share insights, and accelerate your professional growth across North America.
Become a Member
