The EBR Implementation Guide: Part 3.1 – POC’s, POV’s, Trials

What is an eBR Trial/POC/POV?
If you have selected, or are looking into eBR systems which you think will fit your needs it can be a good idea to test this out using a trial, proof of concept or proof of value. These terms are similar, and in essence mean running a small project to confirm if the particular eBR solution you are looking at will be suitable for your company.

Why might you want to run a trial/POC/POV?
Some of the benefits include:

• Testing out the product by getting hands on experience
  Checking the fit of the product with your own processes
• Making sure your users can pick it up quickly
• To gather data to prove it is suitable
• To build your business case and estimate return on investment (ROI)

The more you learn how the system works in your organisation, the more informed you become on how a roll out plan might be best designed and phased.

Should I start an eBR Trial/POC/POV?
This is a good question to ask. Don’t automatically jump into a trial just because the supplier offers this. If you already know what you want and have support from the main stakeholders this can sometimes be counterproductive, as the level of detail that comes with a trial or POC can distract people from the important questions that need answering at this stage and may be better addressed later.

The time might be better spent exploring optional product components, and high level scoping, configuration, and implementation decisions, and especially selecting between infrastructure options (e.g supplier virtual private cloud, your companies virtual private cloud or private cloud/on-premise) as this may involve other teams such as InfoSec. Last but certainly not least, if you expect challenging change management to deploy the new electronic system in your organisation, it could also be problematic to trial without the necessary change aspects being considered, as you may get resistance that could be predicted before having the answers to objections.

Overall, these can be good for answering clearly defined questions needed for selection or stakeholder by-in, however just doing so to “try” the system opens up problems than it provides value, it can be better to spend time on higher level ‘deal-breaker’ type topics. One way to perform a self-check is asking “what do I really need to know to select, get agreement, and make a decision?”, as many detailed elements will not fall into these categories.