Initiating a Proof of Concept with Hopp: A Guide for Prospects

When considering a collaboration with Hopp, many customers begin with a Proof of Concept (PoC) or a Pilot Project. These small-scale initiatives are designed to demonstrate Hopp's capabilities in practice and build confidence before committing to a full-scale migration.

How We Guide You Through the Process

Every PoC or Pilot Project is structured as a collaboration between your team and ours.

Here's how it typically works:

Define objectives and success criteria

Together, we clarify:

• What you want to validate (technical feasibility, error handling, data mapping, etc.)
• Which use cases matter most (e.g., onboarding, system consolidation, product cleanup)
• What "success" looks like for your business

Agree on scope

Less is more. We work with you to define a manageable, realistic scope, enough to prove value, but not so broad that it slows progress.

Choose the right scenario

Depending on your needs, we'll tailor the exercise into one of three levels:

1. Basic PoC: Core validation on a minimal dataset
2. Extended PoC+: Adds testing in a staging environment with real-world data and business users
3. Full Pilot Project: A reduced but complete lifecycle migration, preparing you for full-scale rollout

Execute and collaborate

Your role includes providing representative data, validation rules, and feedback. Hopp sets up and manages the migration runs, and demonstrates how errors and transformations are handled.

Evaluate outcomes

At the end, we review results together against the agreed success criteria. You'll see:

1. How Hopp integrates with your infrastructure
2. How data quality is preserved
3. How both IT and business stakeholders can engage in the process
4. How challenges are surfaced, resolved, and documented

Scenario Options: From Basic Validation to Full Pilot

We offer three structured approaches to match different goals and levels of involvement:

Scenario 1: Basic PoC

Goal: Validate Hopp's ability to manage and document a migration process on a minimal dataset.

Focus Areas:

• Handling problematic data and showing how errors are identified and resolved
• Demonstrating core Hopp features such as migration tracking, audit trails, error handling and business-friendly reporting

Setup Options:

• Use a pre-configured Hopp environment hosted by Hopp (ideal for anonymized or synthetic data)
• Set up a Hopp environment within your own infrastructure (requires server provisioning and access control)

Your Role:

• Provide sample source data and formats
• Define validation rules and lookup tables if needed
• Specify required output formats
• Join planning and status meetings

Scenario 2: Extended PoC+

Goal: Go beyond basic validation by testing in a staging environment with real-world conditions.

Additions to Scenario 1:

• Load migrated data into your test systems to validate downstream functionality
• Involve business users for hands-on testing and feedback
• Demonstrate reprocessing and troubleshooting workflows

Additional Setup Requirements:

• Establish a test environment in your infrastructure
• Load pre-migration data into test systems
• Assign responsibility for data injection and monitoring

Your Role:

• Everything from Scenario 1
• Configure and operate the test environment
• Conduct acceptance testing

Scenario 3: Full Pilot Project

Goal: Simulate a complete migration lifecycle on a reduced scope to prepare for full rollout.

Scope Includes:

• Requirements analysis
• End-to-end migration cycle
• Insertion of data into production-like systems
• Post-migration validation and stabilization

Focus Areas:

• Full stakeholder engagement (IT, business, governance)
• Comprehensive documentation and reporting
• Internal capability building within your team
• Using Hopp in real-world conditions to develop a migration blueprint

Setup Requirements:

• A full migration environment in your infrastructure (servers, access rights, workstations)
• At least one test system mimicking production
• Real or masked production data
• Alignment with data privacy and compliance

Your Role:

• Active participation in every project phase
• Close collaboration with Hopp's team
• Contribution to documentation and internal alignment

What Customers Gain from the Process

Engaging in a PoC or Pilot with Hopp delivers benefits that go far beyond a technical test:

Clarity: Understand how a migration will work for your specific systems and challenges.

Confidence: Validate that complex data mappings, transformations, and error handling are managed correctly.

Collaboration: Build alignment between IT, business teams, and governance stakeholders.

Reduced Risk: Identify and address potential blockers before scaling up.

Final Thoughts

A PoC or Pilot Project with Hopp is a collaborative exploration that prepares your organization.

By defining clear objectives and aligning on what success looks like, we ensure you walk away with actionable insights and a proven foundation for moving forward.

Ready to take the first step? Let's define your success criteria together and show you how Hopp can transform your migration journey.