Pilot FAQ
Common questions before you apply.
Scoped paid pilots with a defined ROI metric, refundable if we miss. Here's what every prospect asks before committing — answered with the assumptions and the failure cases.
Questions + answers
12 questions, with the math intact
- What's an OmniTakeoff pilot?
- A scoped, paid window where one or more estimators on your team use OmniTakeoff on real bids (typical scope is 4–8 weeks across 2–3 bids; exact length set in the pilot scoping call). We commit to a defined ROI metric (e.g. bid throughput up, win rate up, or estimator-hours-per-bid down — exact target agreed in scope); you commit to running OmniTakeoff as the primary takeoff tool on the chosen bids. At pilot-end, both sides have data and the conversation about a longer commitment becomes evidence-based.
- What does it cost?
- Pilots are paid; the specific pilot fee is set during the pilot scoping call based on seat count, integrations, and the pilot length agreed for your scope. (Headline rates by tier are on /small-business and /enterprise; pilot-specific scope is custom-quoted.) We don't run free trials because they incentivize the wrong behavior on both sides. Paying for the pilot makes us accountable; getting paid lets us deploy real onboarding hours.
- What if the pilot fails?
- If we miss the committed ROI metric, we refund the pilot fees. No clawback on services rendered (CSM time, training); just the platform-license cost. The refund commitment is real and contractual; we will not publish historical refund counts on this page (those are program-internal statistics). Ask sales for current data under NDA. The most-common reason a pilot misses ROI: the customer's drawing style was further from our recognizer baseline than pre-pilot diligence captured.
- Why not a free trial?
- Free trials produce a predictable failure mode: the customer logs in once, doesn't allocate time to onboard the AI to their drawings, and concludes the tool 'doesn't work.' That's not the customer's fault — it's the trial structure's fault. Paid pilots come with named CSM hours, structured weekly check-ins, and a defined ROI commitment. Both sides invested; both sides show up.
- How is the ROI metric chosen?
- During the kickoff scoping conversation. We'll review your current baseline (avg estimator-hours per bid, win rate, bid throughput) and pick the metric most relevant to your business goals. Customers in growth mode pick bid-throughput; customers in margin-protection mode pick estimator-hours-saved or defect-cost-avoided.
- Who needs to be involved?
- From the customer side: 1 estimating lead + 1 backup user (committed to attending weekly check-ins), and a senior buyer (for the pilot-end evaluation conversation). From OmniTakeoff: 1 dedicated CSM, 1 onboarding engineer for symbol-library work, and recurring access to the Head of Customer Success for any escalation.
- What if our drawings don't fit the model well?
- Honest answer: this happens. The active-learning loop closes the gap in 2–3 weeks for most customers; some custom symbol sets need an extra 1–2 weeks. We surface this risk during the kickoff scoping; if our pre-pilot diligence suggests a poor fit, we'll say so and decline the pilot rather than take the fee and disappoint you.
- Do you do procurement-friendly contracting?
- Yes. Standard contracts ship with NDAs we'll sign yours-or-ours, MSA + Order Form structure, and 30-day payment terms. For enterprise procurement: we accept your paper if it's reasonable. Feel free to send us your security questionnaire (CAIQ, SIG, custom) — typical 3-business-day turnaround.
- What happens if the pilot succeeds?
- We talk about a longer commitment. Customers who hit their committed ROI metric typically convert to an annual Pro or Enterprise contract; some conclude the pilot was successful but prefer to pause for budget timing. We don't pressure on this — the data gathered during the pilot is yours regardless. We do not publish specific conversion-rate numbers on this page; ask sales for current cohort statistics under NDA if relevant to your evaluation.
- Can we extend the pilot?
- Yes — extension terms are agreed in the pilot scoping call. We'd usually rather convert to a paid contract, but if you need more data to take an internal decision to leadership, we'll extend.
- What's NOT in scope for a pilot?
- Custom integrations beyond our native list. Custom recognizer training that requires more than ~500 annotations of new symbol categories. White-label branding. Multi-region/multi-tenant deployments. These are all available — but post-pilot, on Enterprise contracts.
- How do we apply?
- Visit /pilot-apply and fill out the form. Typical sequence: form → discovery call within 5 business days → pre-pilot diligence (we review your bid history + drawing samples) → pilot scoping call → pilot kickoff. End-to-end ~3–4 weeks from form submission to pilot day-1.
The pilot funnel
What the path looks like
- 01
Pilot application
5-min form at /pilot-apply. Tells us the basics: trade, team size, current tooling, bid volume.
- 02
Discovery call (~30 min)
We confirm fit. If we don't think we can hit your ROI target, we'll tell you. Typically within 5 business days of form submission.
- 03
Pre-pilot diligence (~1 wk)
Review of bid history, drawing samples, integration requirements. Output: a fit/no-fit decision with the rationale.
- 04
Pilot scoping call (~60 min)
Define the ROI metric, the success criteria, the team commitments, the kickoff date. Sign the order form.
- 05
Pilot kickoff
Day 0. Tenant provisioned. CSM assigned. Symbol-library seeding starts. Recurring weekly check-ins scheduled through pilot-end.
- 06
Day-60 review
ROI evaluation against committed metric. Either: convert to paid contract / extend pilot / decline + refund.
Ready to apply?
The form takes 5 minutes.
If we're not a fit, we'll say so on the discovery call. If we are, the pilot kicks off within 3–4 weeks. Either way, you'll have new data on AI takeoff for your trade.