Pilot to Production Playbook
The pilot-to-production playbook: stop funding generic POCs, embed FDEs, unify context, evaluate before go-live, deploy in your VPC, and operate with 24/7 accountability — typical governed go-live under 12 weeks.
The pilot-to-production playbook: stop funding generic POCs, embed FDEs, unify context, evaluate before go-live, deploy in your VPC, and operate with 24/7 accountability — typical governed go-live under 12 weeks.
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Overview
A playbook for crossing the chasm from AI proof-of-concept to production go-live in regulated enterprises.
A playbook for crossing the chasm from AI proof-of-concept to production go-live in regulated enterprises.
Pilot to Production Playbook is written for AI programme owners, technology leaders, and operations executives in regulated enterprises. Most organisations fail not because models are inadequate — but because context, governance, evaluation, and operational ownership are missing when pilots attempt to reach production.
Derisk360 practitioners embed Forward Deployed Engineers inside your business and run structured accelerators — from discovery through governed go-live in your VPC. This guide reflects that delivery model: practical steps you can execute with embedded teams, not abstract best practices that stall at proof-of-concept.
Practical steps for regulated enterprise environments
Designed for production go-live — not endless pilots
Aligns with Derisk360 accelerator delivery model
Typical governed production in under 12 weeks
Before you start
Align business, risk, and technology stakeholders on the highest-value use case — not the most fashionable one. Confirm data access, regulatory constraints, and who owns production operations after go-live.
If you lack unified context infrastructure, plan context engineering as the first accelerator phase. Agents built on demo datasets will fail model risk review.
How Derisk360 applies this guide
We implement every guide through outcome-based services — embedded FDEs, FDEE-led evaluation, and 24/7 managed operations. Book a discovery call to map your use case and scope an accelerator tailored to your industry.
Step-by-step implementation.
- 1
Scope the highest-value use case
Embed Forward Deployed Engineers inside your business to discover where AI delivers measurable value — with deployment risk assessed upfront.
- 2
Unify governed context
Connect source systems through MCP and knowledge graphs. Map fields, lineage, and access controls before configuring agents.
- 3
Build and evaluate agents
Configure governed multi-agent workflows. Run FDEE-led eval harnesses and red teams against your policies before go-live.
- 4
Deploy in your private cloud
Go live in your VPC with audit trails, policy engines, and human-in-the-loop for high-stakes actions.
- 5
Operate with continuous oversight
FDEEs monitor quality, cost, and compliance 24/7 — tuning prompts, policies, and models when production behaviour drifts.
- 6
Transfer capability to your team
FDEs embed operational knowledge during delivery so your organisation sustains production AI after the accelerator completes.
Four phases to production go-live.
Embed & discover
FDEs embed inside your business, learn the domain, and scope the highest-value use case for this accelerator.
Unify context
Connect source systems into a governed context layer — MCP, knowledge graphs, and field mapping in your environment.
Configure & evaluate
Build governed agent workflows, run eval harnesses, and tune against your policies before go-live.
Deploy & monitor
Go live securely in your cloud with FDEE-led monitoring, continuous evaluation, and proactive tuning.
Related resources
Ready for an AI implementation partner?
Book a discovery call and we'll map your highest-value use case — and exactly how we get it into production.
Frequently asked questions
- What is pilot to production playbook?
- A playbook for crossing the chasm from AI proof-of-concept to production go-live in regulated enterprises.
- How long does production go-live take?
- Typical accelerator engagements reach governed production go-live in under 12 weeks for priority use cases in banking and insurance.
- Who should read this guide?
- AI programme owners, technology leaders, and operations executives responsible for moving enterprise AI from pilot to production.
- How do I engage Derisk360?
- Book a discovery call at derisk360.com/book to map your use case.
- Can Derisk360 implement this guide for us?
- Yes. Every guide maps to accelerator delivery with embedded FDEs who implement in your environment.