Protect pilot budget: KPI and go/no-go before the committee
Who this is for: Owner, CFO, and pilot sponsor.
When to read: Before internal budget approval.
What you get: One-page pre-start agreement and week-4 review format.
Next step: Procurement pack, pilot KPI criteria, ROI example.
Budgets get cut when the outcome is vague — “another tool,” “PM will manage,” “ROI in a year.” Defense means pre-agreed KPI, timeline, owners, and permission to stop without losing face.
Sign before start (one page)
- Scope: 2–3 contracts, one weekly slot, named pilot owner.
- Timeline: 4–6 weeks with a fixed go/no-go date.
- Budget: license plus honest team hours for the weekly summary.
- Data: timesheet source, scope baseline, who updates money status.
- Success: 3–5 KPI with continue / adjust / stop thresholds.
- Stop right: explicit no auto-renewal if KPI fail.
Example KPI for budget defense
- One weekly summary for pilot contracts — every week.
- ≥80% of lines with status (ready / review / blocked) by week 4.
- Summary prep time down vs. week-0 baseline (often 20–30% target).
- Disputed lines trending down or listed with owners.
- Scope changes with money status before invoice.
Week 4 review
- One page: KPI → actual → conclusion (go / adjust / no-go).
- 2–3 decisions made earlier than without the pilot.
- Honest “did not work” list and conditions to continue.
Go / adjust / no-go
- Go: KPI at threshold, team uses summary in decisions, sponsor confirms scale.
- Adjust: signal present but data or rhythm weak — 2 more weeks with one condition.
- No-go: no sponsor, no weekly rhythm, KPI flat — stop without “just in case” extension.
What to do in 7 days
- Draft the one-page pre-start agreement with sponsor.
- Align KPI with pilot success criteria.
- Schedule week-4 review on the calendar before spend starts.
When not to fund the pilot
- No executive sponsor or weekly owner.
- No access to contract and timesheet data.
- Success defined only as “we tried the tool.”