From evaluation to validation: How a POC helps decision-makers say yes

For IT professionals, evaluating a potential new security solution is never a casual exercise. It usually happens because something in the environment is no longer working as effectively as it should, or perhaps never really worked at all. For example, access may be too fragmented or difficult to control, credential management may be cumbersome and time-consuming, and visibility may be limited.

In other cases, the push for change may come from the outside. New compliance requirements (such as NIS2 and Essential 8) can raise the cybersecurity bar far beyond what existing tools can support. In addition, insurance providers may expect stronger safeguards around privileged account management, clearer policies, or simply improve general security posture.

Regardless of the trigger, it’s invariably up to IT professionals to explore what the marketplace offers, gather facts, and ultimately make compelling and credible recommendations that answer key questions like:

• Will it fit cleanly into the existing environment?
• Will it integrate with the tools and processes already in place?
• Will it solve the right problem, or simply introduce another layer of complexity in the name of improvement?

The goal is not just to identify a promising option, but to determine whether it will deliver meaningful improvement over the long-term, and make sense strategically, operationally, and financially.

Demos and trials: Valuable, but not always enough

A demo is often the starting point on this journey. It showcases core capabilities, addresses immediate questions, and helps determine whether a solution deserves further consideration and potentially a place on the shortlist. A focused demo (as opposed to a superficial commercial) saves time, sharpens focus, and provides a clear understanding of what a solution can do and, just as importantly, what it cannot.

A free trial in an ephemeral lab, if available, goes even deeper. It provides the opportunity to explore independently, get hands-on with the solution, and see how it fits into day-to-day workflows. This kind of direct experience matters. It helps evaluators and other users move beyond first impressions, and start testing for usability, relevance, and practical fit in a more meaningful way.

However, while demos and trials are certainly valuable, there are scenarios where they are not enough to cross the finish line. Decision-makers who control the budget want to know that a solution is not just useful in theory, but relevant in practice. This is where a proof of concept (POC) often proves decisive, by giving decision-makers the evidence they need to move forward.

What is a POC?

A POC is a focused validation exercise. It is designed to test whether a solution works for an organization’s requirements, workflows, and priorities. There are three key objectives:

1. It helps organizations determine whether the solution truly aligns with their environment and ecosystem. Instead of guessing whether the platform will fit existing workflows, policies, and integration points, the team can evaluate those factors in a focused and practical way.
2. It helps organizations confirm whether the solution is actually what they need. Since the process starts with defined objectives, the evaluation stays tied to real use cases instead of drifting into general feature exploration. That keeps the conversation grounded in outcomes, not just capabilities.
3. It strengthens the case for budget approval. This is where a POC can deliver its greatest value. It gives IT professionals the evidence, measurable outcomes, and documented validation they need to make a strong and defensible recommendation to leadership. In practical terms, it helps answer the questions decision-makers inevitably ask before they approve an investment: Does it fit? Does it solve the right problem? Is the value clear enough to justify the spend?

The Devolutions POC

At Devolutions, we proudly offer a structured, expert-led POC designed to help organizations confirm fit, define success, and move toward a decision with greater clarity and confidence. This is ideal in scenarios where a demo and free trial (both of which we offer) are useful, but still not comprehensive enough to satisfy the needs and expectations of all decision-makers; particularly those outside of the IT team.

Our POC typically runs over 30 to 90 days, and requires only 6 to 10 hours total of time investment. All sessions are led by Devolutions experts, and scheduled around each organization’s availability and convenience.

The engagement begins with a personalized kick-off meeting led by a Business Solutions Specialist. This session aligns the organization on goals, use cases, environment, and success criteria so that the POC is tailored to real needs rather than generic assumptions.

Next comes an expert-guided setup session with a Solutions Architect, who assists with deployment and configuration in either a live or test environment, depending on the customer’s infrastructure and priorities.

Finally, we move to the technical workshop. Led by a Product Expert, this focuses on the features, integrations, and workflows that matter most to the evaluation. Depending on the scope, this workshop may be delivered in one or two sessions.

Below is a summary of the process:

Throughout the engagement, Devolutions also provides direct access to our Technical Specialists for guidance, troubleshooting, and advice on best practices. In addition, success criteria are defined and tracked throughout the POC, so that the organization can measure value clearly and evaluate progress against meaningful goals.

The intended outcome is not just deep product or package familiarity, but a fully validated deployment path and a clear foundation for informed decision-making, and strengthen the case for budget approval. This is what makes the Devolutions guided POC especially compelling. It is not just exploratory. It is milestone-based, goal-oriented, and built to help organizations arrive at a confident conclusion.

The final word

Demos and free trials are an important part of the exploration and evaluation process. They are practical, accessible, and often the fastest way to get started. They help teams understand core capabilities, answer initial questions, and build early momentum. However, when an organization needs wider stakeholder alignment and greater confidence before making a decision, a POC can become the pivotal step. It helps move the needle from evaluation to validation by showing how a solution performs in a real environment, and why it deserves a place in the organization’s future.

Request a POC

Interested in exploring whether a Devolutions POC is the right next step for your organization? Contact us at sales@devolutions.net to start the conversation.