How long should a PoC run?

Long enough to observe real usage patterns, short enough that the team does not drift — commonly two to six weeks. The right length follows from the questions being tested; if you cannot say what a longer PoC would reveal, it is not longer, it is just later.

Should a PoC be paid?

A paid PoC signals genuine intent and usually secures better vendor resourcing. Free PoCs are common for standard SaaS but tend to receive best-effort support, which can produce a result that reflects vendor attention rather than product fit.

Glossary

What is Proof of concept (PoC)?

A proof of concept (PoC) is a time-boxed trial run before purchase, in which a buyer tests whether a product actually works against its own data, systems and users. Unlike a demo, which the vendor controls, a PoC is designed to answer specific questions the buyer wrote down in advance.

Last updated: July 27, 2026

The failure mode of a PoC is not technical, it is definitional. A PoC without written success criteria becomes an extended demo: everyone is impressed, nobody can say whether it passed, and the decision reverts to whoever advocated loudest.

A well-formed PoC states, before it starts: the questions being tested, the data it will run against, who will use it, how long it runs, and what result constitutes a pass. If a question cannot be answered by running the software — pricing at scale, roadmap commitments, support responsiveness — it does not belong in the PoC; it belongs in the contract.

PoCs are expensive on both sides. The buyer commits internal engineering and user time; the vendor commits solution-engineering hours that are lost if the deal does not close. That cost is why PoCs should come late, after cheaper filters have already removed unsuitable vendors — which is exactly what structured information exchange does earlier in the process. A PoC is the right tool for questions only real usage can answer, and the wrong tool for questions a documented answer would have settled in an hour.

In Japanese enterprises the PoC often also serves an internal function: producing evidence for the 稟議 that authorises the purchase. Knowing that in advance changes what should be measured, because the audience is not only the evaluating team.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a PoC run?: Long enough to observe real usage patterns, short enough that the team does not drift — commonly two to six weeks. The right length follows from the questions being tested; if you cannot say what a longer PoC would reveal, it is not longer, it is just later.
Should a PoC be paid?: A paid PoC signals genuine intent and usually secures better vendor resourcing. Free PoCs are common for standard SaaS but tend to receive best-effort support, which can produce a result that reflects vendor attention rather than product fit.

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