Heirloom Improvement Pilot
Start with one priority. Build a system the organization can learn from.
A focused, approximately 10 to 12-week engagement combines discovery, facilitation, a configured workspace, idea development, practical experiment planning, and early implementation support.
Who it is for
A contained way to act on knowledge your organization already has.
The pilot is designed for established organizations that want to improve a real operating or organizational priority with the people who understand the work.
Common triggers
- Recurring operational friction
- An underperforming improvement or suggestion process
- A need to build initiative across a location
- An ownership-culture or participation priority
- A strategic challenge that needs frontline context
Typical scope
- One executive sponsor
- One internal program partner
- One focused unit or group
- One defined improvement priority
- Approximately 20 to 75 participants where appropriate
A typical sequence
Enough structure to create momentum. Enough flexibility to fit the work.
- 01
Orient
Align the executive sponsor and internal program partner around one meaningful priority, scope, roles, and decision boundaries.
- 02
Discover
Listen to employees, managers, and executives; assess the current path from observations to implementation; configure the workspace.
- 03
Launch
Communicate the program, invite participation, surface employee knowledge, and facilitate focused idea-development sessions.
- 04
Prepare experiments
Develop a portfolio of credible ideas and turn selected opportunities into practical tests with owners and measures.
- 05
Begin and learn
Support initial experiments, review early evidence, and deliver an impact, learning, and expansion report.
Client responsibilities
Provide authority, access, and attention.
Name the sponsor and partner, select the priority and unit, make time for discovery and participation, maintain decision accountability, and support viable experiments.
Heirloom responsibilities
Design and operate the first cycle.
Assess the current path, configure the workspace, prepare communications, facilitate development, establish pathways, help plan experiments, and synthesize learning.
What success means
Credible learning and a repeatable path.
Success is not a guaranteed idea count or productivity result. It means the unit develops useful opportunities, begins practical tests where appropriate, and learns how to continue or expand the process.
Pilot FAQ
Practical questions before you begin.
How large is a typical pilot?+
A pilot usually starts in one team, unit, location, warehouse, department, or working group. Approximately 20 to 75 participating employees can be a useful range, depending on the unit and challenge; it is not a requirement or guarantee.
How long does it take?+
A typical pilot runs approximately 10 to 12 weeks. Timing depends on operational calendars, participant availability, the selected priority, and the experiments the unit is ready to begin.
Does leadership give up decision authority?+
No. The pilot clarifies who contributes, who develops ideas, who evaluates them, and who owns each decision. Employee participation and accountable leadership reinforce one another.
Is this a software rollout?+
No. The workspace supports the operating process, but the engagement also includes discovery, program design, facilitation, manager and facilitator support, experiment preparation, and learning assessment.
What happens after the pilot?+
The organization reviews the portfolio, early experiments, participation, process strengths, and lessons. It can continue within the unit, adapt the method, expand selectively, or stop with a documented learning record.