Use carrier-selected, representative files and pre-agreed success criteria, with the current process as a genuine comparator. The pilot must capture the work required to reach acceptance—not stop at the supplier’s first delivery.
A recommended protocol has eight parts:
- Define the population. State eligible loss types, complexity bands, inspection sources and exclusions.
- Freeze the evaluation rules. Version the acceptance checklist, material-error rubric and pricing assumptions.
- Select the files independently. Include ordinary imperfect inputs, not just demonstration-quality inspections.
- Use a fair comparison. Randomise eligible work between routes, or run a controlled paired comparison with the same input package.
- Prevent information advantage. Do not give one route later evidence or a previously corrected estimate unless both receive it.
- Calibrate and blind review where feasible. Adjudicate disputed defects through a separate technical reviewer.
- Track all assigned files. Include declines, unfinished files, exceptions and carrier rescue work.
- Follow through acceptance and a defined correction-observation period. Preserve late-detected production defects.
Score cost per accepted file, first-pass acceptance, material-error rate, total review minutes, usable-file turnaround, attributable reinspection and integration failures.
For a historical-file pilot, do not assume the old final estimate is a perfect reference answer. Revalidate it against the evidence and applicable instructions.
Set explicit stop conditions for data exposure, wrong-claim association, unsupported material outputs and unauthorised downstream actions. Historical outputs should remain segregated from live claim communications and payments.