setup
Success criteria
Write three to five measurable success criteria before kickoff.
Weak vs strong
Weak: the team likes it; it should save time. Strong: 80% weekly unprompted use; cycle time from four hours to under one; 500 records at target accuracy.
Warehouse / ops example (fictional)
Same workflow, two ways to write criteria.
| Weak (do not use) | Strong (close against this) |
|---|---|
| Team likes the new cycle-count tool | ≥80% of named counters complete weekly counts in-product without prompting |
| Should save time on the floor | Median cycle-count time from 4.0h → ≤1.0h on DC-East (baseline week 0) |
| More accurate inventory | Variance vs physical ≤1.5% on 500 SKU sample; finance signs the sample method |
| Managers are happy | Shift leads submit exception log <15 min/day; no critical P1 blockers open at midpoint |
Proof finance can read
Direct savings beat indirect ones. You can win over ops with soft results and still lose finance.
From criteria to ROI
Turn the criteria you hit into an ROI model: labor cost, volume, and hours freed.
Write pilot success criteria
- Pick one workflow and one primary economic outcome.
- Draft 3-5 metrics with baselines and targets.
- Confirm you can measure each metric inside the pilot window.
- Get written agreement from the champion and economic buyer before kickoff.
Claims and patterns on this page are paraphrased from practitioner session notes and the Startup Bible (Pilots that convert). See Sources.