PILOTS

Prove the delivery before you scale it.

YPAI designs each pilot around your real data, your systems, and the way you actually operate. You review the results against acceptance criteria agreed before the work starts, then decide whether to move to production.

For AI Data & Evaluation, AI Implementation, or a connected delivery across both.

Scope a pilot See how it works
  1. THE PURPOSE It is a limited, contract-defined validation of the delivery YPAI would be expected to run in production.
  2. WHAT CAN BE PILOTED For AI Data & Evaluation, AI Implementation, or a connected delivery across both.
  3. HOW IT WORKS Scope. Define. Run. Review. Decide.
  4. COMMERCIAL MODEL No hidden universal rule. The commercial and acceptance model is written for the actual pilot.
  5. AFTER THE PILOT Scale, remediate or stop.

THE PURPOSE

A pilot is not a generic demo.

It is a limited, contract-defined validation of the delivery YPAI would be expected to run in production.

  1. 01 Scope of work
  2. 02 Technical requirements
  3. 03 Acceptance criteria
  4. 04 Data protection and rights
  5. 05 Commercial structure
  6. 06 Remediation and change control

The pilot uses your actual objective, operating constraints, technical requirements and acceptance criteria. Depending on the engagement, it may validate a data workflow, an AI system, an evaluation method, or the connection between them.

The question is not whether a sample looks promising. The question is whether the delivery method meets the requirements that matter in production.

WHAT CAN BE PILOTED

One validation model. Three delivery paths.

AI DATA & EVALUATION

Validate the data, workflow and quality model.

A pilot can test custom data collection, dataset sourcing, annotation, quality assurance, model evaluation or a combination of these. The scope may include participant or asset workflows, consent and rights, capture specifications, review design, output formats and acceptance testing.

  • Video, speech, audio, image and multimodal collection
  • Annotation and human review workflows
  • Dataset suitability and rights diligence
  • Model, agent and multimodal evaluation
  • Quality gates, adjudication and delivery formats

AI IMPLEMENTATION

Validate the system in the real operating context.

An implementation pilot tests whether the proposed AI system works inside your actual workflow. It can validate integrations, automation, agent behavior, human handoffs, evaluation, observability and production controls before a wider deployment.

  • AI workflow and process automation
  • Model and vendor integration
  • Agentic systems and human review
  • Evaluation and observability
  • Deployment, access and operating controls

CONNECTED DELIVERY

Validate the data and the system together.

Some projects cannot separate the training or evaluation data from the system that consumes it. YPAI can pilot both service lines under one delivery structure and one agreed acceptance framework.

  • Data collection connected to a production pipeline
  • Evaluation data connected to model or agent behavior
  • Human review connected to automated decisions
  • Rights, provenance and delivery controls across the full workflow

HOW IT WORKS

Scope. Define. Run. Review. Decide.

  1. 01 SCOPE

    Start with the real requirement.

    You and YPAI define the objective, the current starting point, and the constraints that decide success: technical requirements, expected outputs, timeline, known risks.

  2. 02 DEFINE

    Agree what success means before work begins.

    The pilot agreement fixes the test before work begins: what will be delivered, how quality is measured, who carries which risk, and how changes are handled.

  3. 03 RUN

    Configure and execute the pilot.

    YPAI configures the required workflow, environment, review process and delivery controls, then produces the agreed pilot output or working system.

  4. 04 REVIEW

    Inspect the results directly.

    You receive access to a dedicated pilot workspace and analyse the outputs, quality measurements, acceptance results and exceptions yourself.

  5. 05 DECIDE

    Scale, remediate or stop.

    You can accept the pilot and proceed to production, request an agreed remediation, or stop without a production commitment. The next step follows the documented result, not a sales assumption.

AFTER THE PILOT

A pilot creates a decision point, not an automatic expansion.

  1. ACCEPTED

    Move into production.

    You and YPAI define the production scope, commercial model, capacity, controls and ramp plan using the accepted pilot as the reference.

  2. REMEDIATION

    Correct against the same criteria.

    Where the agreement provides for remediation, YPAI corrects the identified issues and the affected result is evaluated again against the agreed requirements.

  3. STOPPED

    End without a production commitment.

    A pilot does not obligate you to proceed. The project can stop after review, subject to the commercial and contractual terms agreed during scoping.

  1. Scope of work

    The objective, deliverables, responsibilities, timeline, dependencies and exclusions.

  2. Technical requirements

    The relevant modalities, systems, formats, environments, integrations, volumes and operating constraints.

  3. Acceptance criteria

    The quality rubric, measurement method, review sample, evidence requirements, rejection reasons and acceptance window.

    WRITTEN AT MEASUREMENT LEVEL

    For a multi-object video tracking pilot, acceptance can require HOTA 0.65 or higher and IDF1 0.75 or higher across the agreed review sample before the result is accepted.

  4. Data protection and rights

    The DPA, processing roles, permitted use, consent or licensing requirements, retention, access and deletion obligations where applicable.

  5. Commercial structure

    The pilot fee, setup or mobilisation costs, third-party expenses, payment triggers and treatment of accepted and non-accepted work.

    COMMERCIAL MODEL

    The commercial structure follows the work.

    No hidden universal rule. The commercial and acceptance model is written for the actual pilot.

    Some pilots can be completed without a separate pilot fee. Others require paid setup, mobilisation, specialist work, participant costs, hardware, engineering or other project-specific resources.

    You and YPAI agree the structure during scoping, based on complexity, setup cost, delivery risk and the resources required.

    If YPAI, through its own fault, does not meet the agreed requirements, YPAI bears the cost allocated to that failure under the pilot agreement. The treatment of setup costs, third-party expenses, remediation and changed requirements is agreed before work begins.

    AGREED DURING SCOPING

    • Complexity
    • Setup cost
    • Delivery risk
    • Resources required

  6. Remediation and change control

    What YPAI may correct, how the result is re-evaluated, and how changed requirements affect scope, cost and timing.

The pilot contract defines the test.

The documents and requirements are selected for the actual engagement.

PILOT WORKSPACE

Review the evidence directly.

Each pilot includes a dedicated result surface where you can inspect and analyse the work against the agreed criteria. You are not limited to a presentation or a summary prepared by YPAI.

Depending on the engagement, the workspace can include:

  • Delivered files, samples or system outputs
  • Quality measurements and acceptance results
  • Review findings, exceptions and failure reasons
  • Versioned specifications and supporting documentation
  • Manifests, checksums and rights linkage where relevant
  • Remediation status and change history
  • Production recommendations and known constraints

You see what was produced, how it was evaluated and what remains unresolved.

START WITH THE REQUIREMENT

Scope the first validation step.

Bring the objective, current starting point and known operating requirements. YPAI will map the appropriate service line, pilot structure, acceptance model and path to production.

Scope a pilot Contact us

COMMON QUESTIONS

What buyers usually need to know.

Is every pilot paid?
No. The commercial structure is agreed during scoping based on complexity, setup cost, required resources and risk.
Is there a standard pilot size or duration?
No. The scope must be large enough to test the relevant delivery method and small enough to remain a controlled validation. The appropriate volume and duration depend on the project.
Can a pilot cover both service lines?
Yes. A pilot can cover AI Data & Evaluation, AI Implementation, or a connected delivery across both.
What documentation is used?
Each pilot uses the documentation required for that engagement. This can include a scope of work, DPA, rights and processing terms, technical specification, acceptance criteria, commercial terms and change-control provisions.
What happens if the requirements change during the pilot?
Material changes are handled through the agreed change-control process. New requirements do not silently become part of the original acceptance test.
What happens if YPAI does not meet the agreed requirements?
The consequences are defined during scoping and written into the pilot agreement. Where the failure is caused by YPAI, YPAI bears the cost allocated to that failure under the agreement.
Does an accepted pilot automatically become production?
No. An accepted pilot provides the evidence and reference point for a separate production decision, scope and agreement.
Can we review the results ourselves?
Yes. You receive access to a dedicated pilot result surface where the relevant outputs, measurements, exceptions and documentation can be analysed.

Scope a pilot

Contact request A project lead replies within one business day.

Choose the closest match. Requests that span services reach both teams.

  • Pilot scoping route Collection and annotation fit checked first
  • Named project lead Signed first reply, no SDR routing
  • DPA included GDPR aligned, EU data residency
  • Operations in-house Not subcontracted to a marketplace

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