We get called in to rescue stalled smart-building pilots two or three times a year. The technology is rarely the problem. The pilot scope and the decision-makers are.
Before you sign a pilot agreement with anyone — including us — walk through this short list with whoever owns the building.
1. Who decides 'success'?
Name a single person. Not a committee. If you can't name one person who can sign off that the pilot worked, the pilot can't end.
2. What does success look like in numbers?
'Better tenant experience' isn't measurable. 'Reduce after-hours HVAC runtime by 20% on the third floor' is. Pick two or three numbers, write them down, then run the pilot.
3. How will you measure?
Most pilots fail here. If you don't have a baseline measurement before the install, you have no way to prove a result after. Take two weeks of baseline data first.
4. What's the exit clause?
Every pilot agreement should answer: if it doesn't work, who removes the equipment, and who pays? Sort that out at the start, not at the end.
5. Who owns the data?
Particularly with cloud-managed platforms, get the data ownership and export terms in writing. You should be able to walk away with a CSV of every event, sensor reading and configuration setting.