Pilot Partnership Program
Experience Modern Procurement – Risk-Free Pilot Opportunity
Is your agency ready to try a new approach to technology procurement? The Realign Pilot Partnership Program offers forward-thinking agencies a chance to collaborate with us on a real-world tech evaluation pilot – at low risk and high reward.
What is the Pilot Partnership?
It’s a structured program where we work with your agency on an upcoming technology need (for example, implementing a new case management system, modernizing a public-facing portal, etc.). Instead of issuing a massive RFP and hoping for the best, you’ll test-drive solutions in a controlled pilot with our guidance. Over a span of a few weeks, Realign will help your team identify 2-3 candidate solutions (or vendors), set up a real-use scenario for each (a sandbox or small-scale deployment), and engage actual end-users to use each solution as if it were live. We gather detailed feedback, usage data, and performance metrics throughout the trial.
How It Works
Discovery & Scope
We start by collaboratively defining what success looks like for your project. What are the key outcomes you need? What users should be involved? We tailor the pilot to focus on what matters most to you (e.g. reducing processing time, improving user satisfaction, integration capability, etc.).
Real-User Testing
Realign will facilitate the entire pilot process. We recruit and brief the end-users (these could be employees from your department, IT staff, or even members of the public, depending on the system). Each user group gets hands-on time with each candidate system to perform typical tasks. This isn’t a demo – it’s using the product in practice. For example, if evaluating a permitting software, city staff will actually try issuing a mock permit in each system while we observe and time the steps.
Independent Evaluation
Our team collects both qualitative feedback (user opinions, pain points, likes/dislikes) and quantitative data (task completion rates, error counts, speed benchmarks). We also ensure each solution is evaluated for compliance and security basics (so nothing fails due to a compliance issue later). Realign acts as an unbiased moderator; vendors have equal opportunity in the pilot and no visibility into each other. This level playing field ensures fairness and credibility of results.
Analysis & Report
After the pilot period, Realign analyzes all the data and produces a clear Pilot Evaluation Report. This report will compare the solutions on all key dimensions – user experience, functionality fit, technical performance, interoperability, support, cost, etc. – all backed by real pilot evidence. We highlight strengths and weaknesses of each option in plain language. Often, one solution emerges as the best fit; other times, we might recommend adjustments or a second-round focused test. Either way, you now have crystal-clear insight into which technology will work best before you commit budget to it.
Decision Support
Finally, we sit down with your decision-makers to walk through the findings. Our goal is not to tell you what to do, but to arm you with actionable knowledge. If a solution clearly excelled, you can move forward to procure it with confidence (and we even help map our findings to your procurement criteria, making it easier to justify your choice). If none met the bar, you’ve learned that before spending money, and can adjust course or invite new entrants. In essence, the pilot informs your procurement strategy in a way nothing else can.
Pilot Partnership FAQ: Benefits of Being a Pilot Partner
How does the Realign pilot reduce risk for my agency?
Our pilot evaluations let you see real-world outcomes before making a major investment.
You won’t be buying a system blindly and hoping it works — you’ll have evidence from actual use cases that demonstrate which solution delivers (and which doesn’t).
This de-risks your investment, keeps vendors accountable, and ensures you move forward with confidence.
Will a pilot slow down our procurement process?
No — it often shortens it.
While traditional RFP processes can drag out for a year or longer, our pilot program rapidly yields a preferred solution based on real-world testing.
With documented evidence from the pilot, procurement officials can move faster and negotiate directly with the top-performing vendor.
How does the pilot program help with internal buy-in?
During the pilot, your end-users — the staff who will actually work with the system — are part of the evaluation process.
They get hands-on experience and a voice in selecting the best-fit solution.
This involvement generates excitement, reduces resistance to change, and builds internal champions who help drive adoption at rollout.
Is participating in a pilot cost-effective?
Absolutely.
Avoiding a wrong decision can save millions down the line.
Our Pilot Partnership is intentionally designed to be cost-effective — and in many cases, pilot expenses are subsidized through innovation grants or early partner programs.
The savings from choosing the right solution early can be immense: what could have been a $5M mistake can be redirected into a $500K success.
Will we be able to learn from other agencies’ experiences too?
Yes.
With your permission, we can anonymously share your pilot’s success story in our broader network, positioning your agency as a leader in innovation.
You’ll also gain access to lessons learned from other pilots — seeing how different agencies approached similar challenges — helping you modernize faster and more strategically.
Candidate Partners We Seek
We’re looking for agencies (local, state, or federal) who are committed to innovation and willing to try a new approach on an upcoming procurement. Ideal pilot partners have an identified technology need or project (ripe for modernization), executive support to experiment, and a team open to collaborating closely with us. You do not need a big budget – in fact, pilots work great for those trying to maximize dollars and make a case for investment with evidence. Whether it’s a city upgrading its 311 citizen request system, or a state evaluating cloud providers under new mandates, we can tailor the pilot accordingly.
Innovate Your Tech Acquisition
Realign streamlines the tech procurement process for civic organizations in Denver County. Enhance efficiency and drive innovation with our expert solutions.