When To Test, Iterate, Pilot, Launch, And Roll-Out New Initiatives

Forbes

30-06-2025

Pippin rehearsal
Test to learn. Iterate to improve. Pilot to teach. Launch to commit. Roll-out to manage resources over time. At one level, this is pretty straightforward stuff. But people often skip some of these steps – even though they increase the likelihood of ultimate success in some cases.
This article will help you understand the different uses of these different activities so you'll know which to deploy when and which you can skip or deploy differently.
Test
Merriam-Webster defines test as 'a critical examination, observation, or evaluation.' Do this when you're not sure something that's going to require a large investment or has a large risk is going to work or when you want to compare different options. Examine, observe, evaluate to learn.
Let's use a theatrical play as an example. You might test different play titles by running them by different members of your potential audience to learn about their reactions to help you choose the most impactful title.
Iterate
'To say or do again or again and again.' Do this when you can ratchet up performance with repetition.
Sticking with our play example, you might run a series of workshops to ratchet up the content with real actors and real audiences.
Pilot
'To act as a guide to: lead or conduct over a usually difficult course.' Do this to pave the wave for others.
This is what out of town previews are all about in theatrical productions – finding places to try out the full play with a full audience to give everyone more confidence in the play.
Launch
'To make a start.' Do this when you've done your learning and are ready to commit.
This would be the opening night and initial production run of our example play.
Roll-out
'To introduce (something, such as a new product) especially for widespread sale to the public.' In this case, we're referring to the introduction of something in stages or phases. Do this to focus resources on the different stages over time.
And this would be taking the play to different markets or countries.
Application For Design-Focused Organizations
The application to design-focused organizations is the most straightforward. Of course you're going to test your new ideas. That's part of an intelligent failure approach to innovation in which you fail fast and small by design. (Pun intended.) And iteration is a great approach for early concepts.
Application For Production-Focused Organizations
The application to production-focused organizations requires discipline and broad thinking at the same time. Testing and iterating are ways to make sure you're doing no harm to your ongoing production processes. You'll want to cordon off testing areas to mitigate unintended consequences.
Then, when you've tested a new way of doing things, piloting the approach in one area will give others examples to emulate and create a set of people that can give others advice during your launch and roll-out phases.
Application For Delivery/Distribution-Focused Organizations
What's different here is the need to collaborate across the different organizations in your delivery/distribution eco-systems. While individual organizations can test components on their own, all the organizations will need to come together to pilot the components within the complete system to learn and perhaps iterate approaches before launching and rolling out.
Application For Service-Focused Organizations
Because the best service-focused organizations are passionately customer-focused and decentralized, most of their new ideas are born out of customer interactions. Good ideas come from practical solutions to problems and innovations to take advantage of opportunities more than from testable hypotheses. Decentralized service providers are constantly iterating on their own. Given that, don't look for formal pilots or launches as much as ways to roll-out things that are working.
Be Deliberate
There is no one right formula for deploying these tools. But there is a right mindset. That mindset comes from having these tools in your quiver so you can pull out the most appropriate tools at the most appropriate times for your organization and your situation. It's less about telling people when to test, pilot, iterate, launch, or roll-out than being able to have a conversation with them about their situation and approach and give them new ways to consider.
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