Uses of Sampling in Pilot Testing

Now, let’s go through the third use case of sampling, i.e., its use in pilot testing. However, first, you’ll need to understand the meaning of pilot testing.

So, let’s listen to Ujjyaini as she explains what pilot testing is and where it falls in the entire product development process.

So, if you are creating any product, the process you will follow is given below.

Again, let’s say you are creating a mobile app for a web streaming service such as Hotstar.

Before you even start with the product development process, you will need to test your concept. This can be accomplished by asking a few people how they would feel about a web streaming service and if such a service existed, how often would they use it. How much would they be willing to spend on it? For people who don’t want to use it, what is the reason for not using it? Will they reconsider their decision if certain features are added to the product?

Once you have the results of this concept test, you can start developing the actual product accordingly. Now, when this product nears completion, you should have a few people try it out and collect their feedback. Based on their feedback, you can make some last-minute changes which will help you rectify any mistakes or help you add small features you may have missed. This process of getting your product checked once before its final development is called pilot testing.

Once this product, i.e., the streaming service, is developed in accordance with the results of the concept test and the pilot test, you can launch it. However, if you wish to be really careful, there is one last thing you could do — you could have a few people try this developed product, take their feedback, and make one more round of changes before you launch the product. This process, where you get your final product checked, is called beta testing.

Hence, once you have conducted a concept test, a pilot test, and preferably, a beta test too, you will be ready to launch your product. Now, let’s listen to Ujjyaini as she further explains this framework for product development.

The video above gave you a real-life example of how sampling can be used during product development.

For example, here, Ujjayini is talking about developing a digital payment service. Now there is scope for using sampling at various stages of the product development process. For example:

1. In the initial stages, you want to talk to people and figure out if they are interested in a digital payment service. However, you need to be careful about how you design this survey: the people you talk to should be a mix of those who are already comfortable with cashless products such as credit cards, etc. and those who are only comfortable with cash. While interpreting your findings, you need to make sure that each stratum of the society is represented correctly in the survey and that there are enough people of each type in your survey. If you only interviewed 20 people who are comfortable with digital payments, you may need to use booster methods.

2. In the final stages, during the pilot testing stage, you will need to use the sampling concepts again. Since this stage also involves you surveying people and making decisions for the population based on the sample you surveyed, you will need to stratify your sample accordingly, steer clear of biases, use boosters wherever needed, etc.