Proof of technology

In software development

In software development, proof of technology (abbreviated PoT) is often incorrectly used to describe three processes with different objectives and different participant roles. These uses of the phrase proof of technology are therefore not synonymous and are delineated below.

The objective of a proof of technology is to determine the solution to some technical problem, such as how two systems might be integrated or that a certain throughput can be achieved with a given configuration. No business users need be involved in a proof of technology.

A proof of concept can refer to a partial solution that involves a relatively small number of users acting in business roles to establish whether the system satisfies some aspect of the business requirements.

A pilot project refers to an initial roll out of a system into production, targeting a limited scope of the intended final solution. The scope may be limited by the number of users who can access the system, the business processes affected, the business partners involved, or other restrictions as appropriate to the domain. The purpose of a pilot project is to test whether the system is working as it was designed while limiting business exposure.