Write the decision at the top
Start with the question the pilot must answer. For example: can this product solve a defined operating problem for a particular customer type at an acceptable cost to serve? A scorecard should make the next commercial decision clearer, rather than simply documenting activity.
Choose a baseline and an owner
For each performance measure, record the current condition, method of observation, source of data, and person responsible. The manufacturer and participant should agree which claims can be evaluated in the pilot and which require other evidence. Do not extrapolate beyond the conditions observed.
Separate four kinds of evidence
Buyer evidence concerns the problem, sponsor, and purchasing process. Product evidence concerns the agreed application. Operating evidence concerns delivery, training, and support. Commercial evidence concerns pricing and the actual cost to serve. A favorable result in one category does not resolve the others.
Record outcomes without inflating them
A completed demonstration, a positive survey, an evaluation agreement, and a paid order are different outcomes. Keep those distinctions in the record. Include objections and failed assumptions. A pilot that identifies a service gap may save a manufacturer from repeating that gap across more sites.
Agree review and stop conditions
Set a review date and conditions that trigger an earlier pause, such as missing required documentation, inability to support the participant, or an unresolved operating concern. Assign who can make the decision and how the manufacturer and participant will be informed.
Use the final review to choose a next step
The outcome can be continue, revise, pause, or stop. Document what changed, which evidence supports the decision, and what remains unknown. If expansion is appropriate, identify the next constraint and the smallest practical action that addresses it.
Put the guide to work
Use these questions as a working discussion document. Record your answers, supporting evidence, and unresolved items before deciding what help you need. For a product-specific discussion, explore U.S. pilot launch coordination or submit a nonconfidential introduction.