PoC: What, Why, and How?
Get the best practices on how to perform a proof of concept process for your organization.
Written by Vegard Ottervig on
Whether you are helping your organization choose a vendor or a solution in the realm of digital experiences, a proof of concept may be an invaluable tool.
Let us discover why it can benefit you, your team, your stakeholders, and ultimately your customers.
What Is a Proof of Concept?
A “proof of concept,” or PoC, is a focused demonstration that validates whether an idea is technically or functionally feasible in your environment. It’s typically limited (a few days to two weeks) and not a finished product.
When Do You Need a PoC?
Use a PoC when your organization is evaluating a new solution—e.g. CMS, CRM, ERP, marketing automation, cloud, infrastructure, security, etc.
While demos can showcase features in ideal scenarios, a PoC uncovers hidden constraints before you commit to full implementation. This can be integration challenges, data mismatches, performance bottlenecks, and team fit.
This is especially crucial for AI and machine learning initiatives, where as many as 88% of pilots never make it to production due to unclear goals, poor data readiness, or missing skills. A well-designed PoC lets you catch those issues early.
Case study: How a $80BN financial services company chose a digital platform for the future »
Essential Steps of a PoC
1. Define the Use Case
Pick exactly what you want the PoC to validate. For instance integration throughput, latency, data model fitness, AI inference reliability, or a security control. Define upfront what counts as success and failure.
This is critical because, as Forbes reports, up to 95% of AI pilots fail largely due to vague objectives and lack of alignment with business outcomes.
2. Clarify Preconditions
- Vendor collaboration model and responsibilities
- Your team’s skills and prior experience
- Scope that can realistically be delivered in the timeframe
- Expected UX/features and known limitations
- Existing infrastructure and tooling
- Required integrations and dependencies
- Reporting and metrics expectations
3. Plan Execution
Timebox the PoC to around 2–14 days. For longer efforts, run sprints (build → test → iterate) using an Agile approach.
Fast iteration is key to avoiding the common “cool demo that never scales” trap, as described by Fast Company.
4. Assign Ownership & Roles
Choose a project or product owner to guide decisions. Involve developers and end users early. Your team feedback will help uncover blockers and align priorities.
Lack of clear ownership is one of the main reasons pilots stall.
5. Training / Ramp-Up
If your team is new to the platform, APIs, or data practices, schedule a short learning ramp before executing the core PoC. This way you can focus time on validation rather than onboarding.
6. Execute the PoC
Work in short cycles, stick to scope, document assumptions and constraints, and capture time/effort metrics along with results. This documentation will help when presenting your findings to stakeholders.
7. Evaluate & Decide
Compare results to your predefined KPIs. Identify gaps, risks, and costs, then contrast with competitor solutions.
As Forbes points out, this step is where many organizations fail to translate PoC results into business impact. Clear criteria make it easier to decide whether to proceed, pivot, or stop.
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A PoC may feel like extra effort, but when planned and executed well it is one of the most cost-effective ways to de-risk major digital decisions and reveal hidden complexity before scaling.
First published 30 September 2020, updated 29 October 2025.
