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Pilots are a great way to test out a new system (if done right). We want to eliminate all guesswork for you so that you can really focus on what matters. So we're going to share the six basic steps you need to follow to make sure that your pilot is on point!

1. Set legit goals

Before you begin your pilot, write out a list of goals that you’d like to achieve so that you have some metrics to compare to at the end of the pilot. Are you looking for better visibility, have more accountability, or are you trying to improve your reporting capabilities?  What you’re looking for in a volunteer time tracking system will help you make a decision when your pilot is over.

2. Gather your groupies

Select a key group of volunteers and staff who are interested in helping you test the system. It’s important to have the right kind of people to optimize your pilot results. Focus on people who aren’t ultra-busy, are somewhat tech-savvy, and, of course, passionate about volunteering.

3. Setup your site 

Our go-to motto is “keep it simple and ask for what really matters”!  Find a balance between collecting all the information you want versus what volunteers would like to enter. The more information you require, the less likely they'll want to fill it out.

4. Make (somewhat) important decisions

How you onboard your volunteers can be supercritical to the success of your program. There are two ways to onboard your volunteers: you can have them self-register or you can import them into the system. We suggest you choose the one that you’ll most likely roll out with, but if you're not sure, then try both! 

5. Spend a few weeks exploring the site

It’s important that the pilot group experiences the system fully, so encourage them to log hours from an event that they signed up for, from their mobile app, or directly through the website. Work out the kinks, answer their questions, and get feedback from everyone. If you experience any issues, change up some settings and try it again.  

6.  Review your outcomes

After your pilot is over, compare your results with the goals that you initially set out to achieve. We want to help you make sure that a digital time tracking tool is the right fit for your organization. If it's not actually saving you time, it may not be the right fit. 

If you don’t think Track It Forward is a good fit for your needs, we encourage you to contact our support team before closing the door on us. 

We’ve worked with thousands of organizations and maybe we have a solution for you that you haven’t explored yet!