FIRST PROTOTYPE · TEST THE FIT

Choose a tool around a real task.

Record a technology pilot, assess practical requirements, and estimate entered ownership costs before making a buying decision.

FRA DOTX-218 measurement equipment. Technology planning starts with a clear question and usable evidence. Photo: Nicholas Morgan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image details

Plan a small technology pilot

Record the problem, the decision you need to make, and the evidence to request from a vendor. Review fit against your own operating conditions before committing to a wider rollout.

Prototype for preparing a review. Checklist answers are your observations, not a certification, product ranking, engineering assessment, or automated procurement approval. A completed checklist does not establish that a product is safe or suitable.

Entries stay in this page. No account, browser storage, or upload is used. Reloading or leaving clears unexported work. Download a JSON work file to your device and use “Open work file” to continue later.

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1. Define the pilot

Problem to solve Decision and evidence neededDescribe what you will compare, observe, or demonstrate during the pilot. Vendor or candidate name Pilot owner

2. Assess practical fit

“Yes” means you have evidence that the stated requirement is met for your proposed use. Add a test result or document reference. “Partial” and “No” identify questions to resolve; “Not assessed” keeps unknowns visible.

3. Enter a simple cost scenario

Amounts are USD. Include your own estimates for hardware, setup, staff time, training, connectivity, support, and other applicable costs in the entered totals. These costs are not added automatically.

One-time cost (USD) Recurring annual cost (USD) Number of years

Use 0 if a cost is confirmed to be zero. Blank means unknown. Enter costs up to $1,000,000,000 with at most two decimal places and 1 to 30 whole years.

Cost scenario incomplete.

Total = one-time cost + annual cost × years. This is a constant-cost arithmetic scenario. It excludes inflation, discounting, tax effects, financing, benefits, and costs you did not include. It does not estimate savings or ROI.

Pilot review notes

For PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in your browser’s print dialog. The Excel-compatible CSV contains your pilot details, checklist, evidence, and entered costs. The JSON project file reopens this prototype. Text, CSV, and printed copies cannot be imported. Confirm that your download completed before leaving.

Keep the reasoning with the result.

Check the exported report against your source records. For the planning context, read the small railroad technology guide.

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