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To POC or Not to POC? A Best Practices Guide

PUBLISHED ON:
January 9, 2025

Hayley Hoffman
Principal Solution Designer

Making an important purchase always involves an element of uncertainty. For example, you wouldn’t buy a car without taking it for a test drive first, right? When it comes to significant long-term investments—like supply chain design solutions—it’s essential to build trust in your decision before committing. But how do you gain confidence that you’re choosing the right vendor?

This is where a proof of concept (POC) comes in. Much like a test drive, a POC allows you to see if your prospective solution truly delivers on its promises. However, rushing into a POC without a clear roadmap can lead to wasted time, unmet expectations, and frustration. To help you determine if a POC is the right approach and how to make the most of it, let’s walk through four critical questions you need to address.

1. Why Do You Want a POC?

Before jumping into a POC project, it’s crucial to define your purpose. Start by collaborating with your procurement team to understand your organization’s buying process. What requirements must be met to make a decision? Ask yourself, “Why do we need a POC?”

Here are some common reasons organizations pursue POCs:

Validation of solution fit: Does the solution align with your goals and needs?

Performance testing: Can the software handle the complexity and scale of your operations?

Stakeholder confidence: Will the POC help convince decision-makers?

User adoption assessment: Will your team find the solution intuitive and effective?

Quantifying ROI and business value: What measurable benefits will the solution deliver?

Procurement compliance: Are there organizational requirements mandating a POC?

This exercise is also an opportunity to assess if a POC is truly necessary. If your goals could be achieved through alternative methods—such as product demos or trial accounts—you may save time by skipping this step.

2. What Are Your POC Success Criteria and Expectations?

A common pitfall in POCs is a mismatch between expectations and outcomes. Misaligned success criteria can lead to frustration on both sides. Without clarity, efforts can feel like practicing for a piano recital only to discover the event expects a violin concerto—a scenario no one wants.

To avoid this, clearly define your success metrics and expectations from the beginning. Start by identifying:

Key performance indicators (KPIs): These may include software ease of use, data processing speed, or accuracy of outputs.

Evaluation categories: Specify what aspects of the solution you’ll explore, such as uploading data, running scenarios, and building dashboards.

Scoring methods: Use measurable, objective criteria, such as a 1-to-5 scale, for complexity or ease.

For example, you might test the software by:

Uploading 10 data tables and evaluating ease of use

Creating and running six operational scenarios

Building four personalized dashboards

Document these criteria and share them with all stakeholders, including the vendor, to ensure alignment. This clarity will make it easier to track progress and objectively evaluate results.

3. How Do You Define “POC”?

Surprisingly, “POC” can mean different things to different teams. Some organizations envision it as an interactive trial account, while others see it as a business case proving measurable ROI. Getting clarity on what “POC” means to your organization—and to the vendor—is vital.

Consider these varying approaches:

A trial account with access to pre-built models may suffice for exploring features.

A business case framework may better support ROI calculations.

Specific use case demonstrations may showcase how the solution solves critical pain points.

Start by focusing on the highest priority use cases. Work with your vendor to determine if pre-configured models or data templates can speed up the POC process. Remember, not all evaluations require a full-scale POC—there are often smaller, more efficient alternatives that can provide the insights you need.

4. How Much Time and Effort Do You Need to Satisfy Your POC Expectations?

POCs aren’t simple plug-and-play projects—they require time, effort, and collaboration from both your team and the vendor. Be realistic about the resources you can dedicate while managing your daily responsibilities.

From our experience, a comprehensive POC typically requires:

12–16+ hours of your time.

A timeline of 3–4 weeks, spread across tasks like data gathering, check-in meetings, model validation, and final results review.

Don’t have the bandwidth for a full effort? Consider scaled-down POC options, such as:

Leveraging a template model like Optilogic’s Hop Through, which eliminates data gathering and cleansing.

Focusing on value-add activities like running scenarios, testing AI features, and evaluating reporting capabilities.

By customizing the scope of your POC to suit your time and priorities, you can still gain meaningful insights without overextending your team.

Focus on Making the Right Decision

Investing in a supply chain design solution is a high-stakes decision that requires careful evaluation. While it can be tempting to jump straight into a POC, taking the time to define your “why” first can save you frustration and resources down the line.

Here’s a quick recap:

Clearly define why you need a POC, ensuring it aligns with your procurement process.
Set measurable success criteria and expectations to guide the project.
Align on what “POC” means to you and explore alternative evaluation methods where applicable.
Scope the time and effort required to ensure feasibility for your team.

By sharing these insights with your vendor, you can tailor your evaluation approach for success. The right provider will act as a partner, working closely with you from the start to meet your criteria and deliver confidence in your decision.

Take the Next Step

Is your organization ready to test-drive a supply chain design solution? Start exploring a quick and efficient option with our Hop Through Template Model.