Executive Summary

It’s safe to assume that if you’re reading this, you’ve already concluded that you need some way to better track Proofs of Concept (POCs). That shared spreadsheet or doc isn’t cutting it as the company grows; it’s time to build or buy something. The stakes are high: not only is there real revenue at stake with every POC, won or lost, but they’re also a huge demand on Presales time, impacting capacity, morale, and Cost of Sale.

The “build vs. buy” debate is as old as software itself, and you are familiar with the typical advantages and disadvantages of each approach. This blog explores some nuances with a solution to Presales worth considering.

Are multiple solutions the solution?

If you go to IT and ask what they can do for you, they’ll choose a solution that’s most scalable for them: the IT ticketing system! It’s already up-and-running, all of IT is familiar with it, a couple custom fields can be created, and tracking complex POCs with millions of dollars at stake can be given the same level of attention as resetting a user’s password.

Putting aside the fact that ITSM (Information Technology Service Management) solutions are not designed for projects as complex as POCs, unless IT also plans to tightly integrate it into CRM, you will be unable to get the reporting that makes the whole project worthwhile: how POCs impact win rates, average sales price, and cycle times.

Build it how exactly?

The obvious solution, then, is to build something in Salesforce. How hard can it be to create a few custom fields and write a few custom reports?

Assuming you haven’t reached custom object limits, or custom field limits on your opportunity object, this particular problem isn’t solved with a handful of custom fields. Even the smoothest POCs tend to be highly complex, custom to each prospect, and managed by SEs with varying skillsets. Then, at the end of the exercise, you’re left with simple forms-over-data, a very 2000s approach in the age of AI.

The Case to Buy

All of the usual reasons to buy instead of build hold true for this problem space, and then there are a few domain-specific reasons to buy an application for this instead of trying to build one:

  • Simple project tracking is not enough
  • A purpose-built application will drive more adoption
  • The agentic future requires an AI native foundation

If the only things that mattered were a Start Date and End Date, of course you could build it. Given the stakes, it’s not enough to know which opportunities involved POCs or not, and how long they took. The CRO should also care about —and expect data-driven answers from the head of Presales—to questions like:

  • Which committed deals are at-risk due to issues in the POC, and why?
  • Where are there landmines in the POC process?
  • Are all SEs following the codified best practices most likely to end in technical win?
  • Is there variance in POC outcomes by geography, segment, product line, SE, or SE frontline manager?
  • Are there opportunities within the POC process for an Agent to take some of the load off the SE?

Simple project tracking is not enough. A handful of quickly-thrown-together reports is not enough. A solution like Provarity will have all of the essential reporting out-of-the-box, the ability to easily create custom reports, and —being AI native— the ability for an SE leader to analyze everything conversationally, using natural language.

SEs, as a class of professionals, have not enjoyed many applications built especially for them. The default is always CRM (Salesforce, usually) built primarily for sales management, and for sellers secondarily. Provarity has been built from the ground up to help SEs manage the complexity of multiple, simultaneous POCs to give them the best chance at winning each time, while providing SE leadership with real-time access to insights that help ensure there are no end-of-quarter surprises. Provarity was built by SEs, for SEs.

While it may sound cliche, AI has changed the game for a solution like this. Not in the use-an-ML-model-to-predict-how-a-POC-will-go sense, but in the way applications need to be developed from the ground up to be considered “AI native.” The reporting aspect of the problem is only part of it; the future is definitely going to be agentic and there’s a real risk the solution you build today is obsolete in a year or less.

Reality Check

The reality is that an AI native, purpose-built POC solution by a provider like Provarity is going to have a faster time-to-value by virtue of having an entire company dedicated to its development and maintenance, while also more likely to gain adoption by being more user friendly than Salesforce. In fact, we’d be willing to bet that you’ll be up-and-running with Provarity in the time it would take to document all your requirements for the solution.

Caught in this dilemma? Provarity can help. Talk with a Presales Expert or Schedule a Demo. We’d be happy to help you identify the best option for your presales needs. Just have a quick question? Let Us Know.