In our last post, we walked you through how a Proof of Concept (PoC) can eliminate both concerns and regrets when navigating the process of choosing a new piece of software to power your business. In this post, we’ll explain exactly how a PoC plays out when someone signs up for one with Aïdi.

The goal of a PoC: complete confidence for you

A PoC is an in-depth testing experience that lets you become intimately familiar with a piece of software before committing to an implementation that will require time, money, and energy. But this isn’t some light and fluffy “free trial”; rather, with a PoC, we work closely with you to ensure that you’re in a position to get the most out of Aïdi, in relation to your specific business needs and challenges. Essentially, the PoC that we offer, which lasts three to four months, gives you the chance to put our software through the gauntlet in a meaningful way.

The PoC is also our way of showing you that we don’t make you change the way you do things in order to be able to utilize our software (because nobody likes to have to completely rethink their processes unless it’s strictly necessary!). We adapt the software to YOUR way of doing things. As you begin to learn your way around the system, you’ll receive direct, friendly guidance from our team - and we’ll share our knowledge of best practices with you, tailored to your business needs. We do this by diving deep into the core of your business, and finding ways to mould Aïdi’s features to give you the best possible results, leveraging our knowledge of how other Aïdi users with businesses similar to yours have put the software to work for them.  

As you move through your PoC with us, our goal is to make sure that you immediately start benefiting from Aïdi’s ability to streamline your operations, so that you can unequivocally determine if we’re the best solution for you.

How a PoC unfolds

During your PoC, we’ll be right there beside you, learning everything we can about the way you do things, and what processes you’d like to improve. This will allow us to shape your PoC in such a way that it will give you demonstrable proof that Aïdi can do what you want and need.

The components of your Aïdi PoC process would follow these steps.

Kickoff meeting

1. Identify the steering committee, assign roles and responsibilities. and establish expectations.
2. Prepare a projected schedule, milestones, and deliverables.
3. Collect basic data and documents from your company so that we can set up your Aïdi database.

Training

1. Hold training sessions and work through practical exercises to get your chosen “super users” up to speed.
2. Provide training on how to import your own report templates, and Excel and Word forms.

Implementation

1. Hold a series of meetings to build a global implementation framework that includes personalized processes and guides, and lays the foundation for the Aïdi deployment method - particularly the implementation schedule and goals.
2. Give a general presentation introducing Aïdi to your remaining teams (internal and external) as needed.

In addition to all the elements listed above, the main deliverable you can expect to receive as a result of your PoC is a detailed implementation plan for your official integration with the Aïdi software, including a timeline for getting your projects up and running on the new platform. This plan will set you up for big success as you transition away from whatever system you were using previously, and put the pedal to the metal while Aïdi transforms your operations for the better.

Why a PoC, instead of a free trial?

You can think of your PoC as an all-you-can-eat buffet defined by unlimited support and training from us. Our goal is that you leave the restaurant impressed by the flavour and quality of the food, and not hungry anymore! As your coaches during the PoC, our aim is to deliver an incredibly valuable experience that centres around transferring knowledge to you, enabling you to grow independently.

Unlike in the case of a free trial, the Aïdi PoC is defined by commitment from both sides. Your team and our team put in significant effort to make the most of our time together, and the financial investment (bound by an agreed-upon budget) is what motivates everyone to rally against the inevitable resistance to change, in order to receive some amazing benefits.

With a free trial, the typical length of 30 days isn’t nearly enough time to properly evaluate a piece of software - especially software that powers a crucial sector of your organization, like Aïdi does. Without properly implementing the software, so that it has a chance to adapt to your business processes and any other software you’re already using in your operations, the chances of being able to truly evaluate Aïdi in a meaningful way would be slim to none.

It’s also crucial that there be ongoing discussion and interaction as you learn your way around a new piece of software such as Aïdi. This just isn’t possible in a free trial scenario. With a PoC, because you’ll be keeping us apprised of your experience using our platform, we can adapt our tools and reporting, as well as the implementation plan for your official integration. This helps us to make the most of opportunities for improvement in the short, medium and long terms.

Ultimately, by the time your Aïdi PoC draws to a close, we want you to be 100% sure of the answer to one simple question: Is switching to Aïdi going to be worth it - and then some - for your company? Because that’s an answer that you deserve to have. And we intend to help you get it.