The introduction of any innovation is associated with significant risk. In case of failure, not only will you not be able to earn money, but you will also have to say goodbye to all investments. The situation is even worse if the funds were borrowed. A pilot project is a way to assess the risks and prospects before the actual start of the transformation. If this preliminary study proves the worth of wasting money and time, then large-scale changes will begin.
Using the method
A pilot project is a good start to any large-scale study with a large sample. Its implementation is necessary to save time and money. If the pilot project of the program turned out to be unsuccessful, then there is no point in starting large-scale changes in the enterprise, in the industry or the whole country. Such preliminary tests are a real way to avoid wasting funds that are better invested in something else. In order to reflect the situation objectively, the participants of the pilot projectmust be representatives of relevant social and demographic groups. Other people are recruited for subsequent research, as their involvement may influence their behavior in the second case.
A pilot experiment is often used to test methods of analysis in a larger study. It can also be directly a way to find out the reaction of a potential consumer to a product or service. The results of this mini-study are used to refine the data processing system or the product itself.
Application in production
A pilot project is a preliminary study that originally had a purely engineering application. After the development of a new product, part of it was sold in order to prove that its release is a worthwhile investment. In some cases, a larger experiment was then carried out, but often the success of the preliminary design was enough to start production. Why spend extra money if the results of this method of evaluation are quite objective? Now pilot projects are increasingly used to test the convenience and rationality of providing certain social services.
School card
In 2014, a project to use electronic passes was launched in educational institutions in one of the regions of Tatarstan. The card is for every student. It has all the information about the student, as well as money fordining room. As soon as the child enters the building or leaves it, a message is sent to the parents' phone. Some students are outraged by such excessive control over their pastime, but educators are convinced that this will not only improve academic performance, but also have an overall positive impact on the younger generation. Parents are also notified when children eat in the dining room. The authorities allocated 15 million rubles for the implementation of the system, and similar electronic access systems will soon be introduced in additional education circles.
FSS pilot project
From July 1, 2015, Tatarstan also plans to launch a project for the payment of benefits through the regional offices of the Social Insurance Fund. According to the manager R. Gaizatullin, from this date the money will not go through employers, but directly from the state to the personal accounts of individuals in banks. Those working citizens who do not have them will receive the funds due to them by postal order. The benefit scheme itself will also change. Before that, the offset principle was in effect, now the money for insurance must be transferred in full. Such a system should be beneficial to the employer, as it saves working capital. In addition, it significantly reduces the possibility of fraud with insurance payments. Today, the project is already being implemented in ten regions of the Russian Federation.
Experimental drugs
In May 2015, Johnson&Johnson, represented by its representatives, announced that it had decided to form a committee to prescribe drugs that had not yet been tested to terminally ill people. We are talking about those drugs that have not yet been approved and have not been put into mass production. It should be noted that in the eighties, it was experimental drugs that saved the lives of millions of patients during a large-scale AIDS epidemic. In the US, for example, an untested ZMapp drug was approved, but the manufacturer soon announced that it had run out. This case illustrates two main problems: concerns about the safety of new drugs and shortages after the approval of the trials. Representatives of Jonson & Jonson will choose who to provide the experimental drug. The committee will include not only doctors, but lawyers and experts in bioethics.
Meanwhile, a pilot project on hypertension has been suspended in Ukraine due to lack of funding. Previously, it was assumed that the state would provide people with high blood pressure with the simplest medicines. In many cities, pharmacies have not yet appeared where they can be purchased.
Use in other areas
In the social sciences, in particular sociology, a pilot project is a small study that is needed to adjust some technical parameters. It is usually followed by a full examination.
Despite the fact that pilot experiments have been used for quite some time, theyusefulness as part of the strategy remains questionable. The prospects for the development of this method of research are associated with the use of resources of average quality and the rejection of the most favorable conditions for their implementation. In this case, we can talk about the objectivity of its results, which will help to properly distribute free cash resources.
