When considering indoor navigation, it’s easy to be tempted by the idea of piloting a small area of your venue – after all, buildings naturally lend themselves to segmentation, making them seem ideal for a demonstration or proof of concept. Yet while these cautious first steps promise simplicity, “just a taste” can often leave venues unsatisfied, frustrated, and facing unexpected costs. This article distills key advice for navigating the ups and downs of reduced-scope indoor navigation pilots.
Pilot Fever: Why Shrinking the Map Feels Safe #
Every new technology demands proof-of-concept. Finance teams want contained invoices, operations want minimal disruption, and project sponsors want a quick win for the next board meeting. On paper, mapping half a concourse or one hotel floor checks all boxes: quick, cheap, and “good enough to show the idea.” The instinct is natural – no one wants to waste cash on an untested solution.
The Invisible Cliff Edge #
“Falling off the map” is a common warning, and seeing a first-time user cross from a mapped space into an unmapped one explains why. The boundary is invisible; when guidance stops abruptly, nervous laughter turns to real panic and the verdict is instant: “The app doesn’t work!” Explaining to the user that they left the pilot zone offers little comfort – people expect a map to cover the whole journey. In open-plan venues like stations, airports, malls, and exhibition centers, this cliff edge can appear within steps, not corridors.
Small Pilot, Small Savings – Big Headaches #
The cost logic is often counterintuitive. LiDAR scanners capture data across the venue, so technicians still collect almost everything – even when instructed to “only process half.” Staff then spend extra hours drawing artificial cut-lines, filtering point clouds, and quality-checking to ensure vital landmarks aren’t lost. The net discount is usually only a few percent – insignificant for a transport hub budget – and can be entirely offset by additional project management overhead or future costs.
If the pilot succeeds (the goal, after all), finishing the venue isn’t just “paying the remaining 25%.” Teams must remobilize, rescan the old edge for alignment, and effectively redo half the original work. The second invoice often matches the first, meaning total spend can exceed a full, one-off deployment by thousands.
User Trust Is Priceless (and Fragile) #
Early adopters become unpaid ambassadors – or your loudest, more vocal critics. When the pilot’s limited footprint fails them, they share their disappointment, diluting the wow-factor indoor navigation relies on during rollout. Frontline staff then field repetitive questions (“Why did the map disappear?”) that no training manual anticipated. A bargain pilot that undermines confidence costs more than money; it risks momentum and brand reputation.
Where a Trimmed Map Can Still Shine #
GoodMaps admits some niche scenarios make a sharply bounded map work because the environment enforces boundaries:
- Single, self-contained levels: Mapping only a hotel’s public ground floor works if lifts clearly separate floors and users expect service changes.
- Isolated wings or annexes: A convention center extension connected by one corridor offers a clear edge visitors rarely cross accidentally.
- Secure or ticketed zones: Customs halls, staff-only areas, or restricted lounges can be excluded without confusing general visitors, provided checkpoint signage is clear.
Even here, clear communication (“Mapping active on Ground Level only”) and upgrade plans remain essential.
Five Questions to Ask Before Shrinking Scope #
- Can users cross the boundary unknowingly? If yes, expect frustration.
- Are the cost savings truly significant? Under five figures may be a false economy once admin hours are included.
- How soon might expansion follow? The sooner, the more expensive the phased approach becomes.
- Can staff confidently explain coverage limits? If not, prepare for mismatched expectations.
- Does partial coverage raise accessibility concerns? Selective inclusion can appear discriminatory under laws like the European Accessibility Act.
A Conversational Cost Parable #
Imagine a rail station with six platforms. The temptation: “Map platforms 1–2, prove value, then add 3–6 next year.” The scanning team walks the entire concourse anyway, so Day-One savings are about 2,000 on a 6,000 project – not transformative. A year later, passengers love the pilot – except on platform 3 – so management approves full coverage. The new quote matches the earlier 4,000 spent because re-syncing the original boundary requires fresh scans and processing. Total: 8,000 instead of 6,000, plus a year of mixed reviews.
Practical Tips If You Must Start Small #
- Choose natural edges. Doors, gates, lifts – anything obvious to visitors – to beat invisible lines.
- Label the limit in-app and onsite. A simple alert like “Guidance ends beyond this point” lessens surprises.
- Schedule the full scan while the crew is still booked. Back-to-back phases avoid remobilization fees.
- Educate staff early. Clear talking points prevent support desks from learning about coverage gaps the hard way.
- Scan the whole venue up front. Even if you’re launching in sections, capturing everything at once lets you set logical pilot boundaries and prevents costly return visits later.
The GoodMaps Recommendation in Plain English #
If your venue flows like a single organism – platforms merging into shops, concourses flowing into ticket halls – map it all on day one. Spend a bit more upfront, save later, and give users the seamless experience that wins hearts (and headlines). Reserve reduced-scope pilots for truly sealed-off areas or when budgets are fixed and expansion uncertain.
Before defaulting to a proof of concept, consider whether you truly need one – especially when you can visit hundreds of GoodMaps’ mapped venues or public sites for inspiration and assurance. Often, seeing real-world deployments is enough to secure stakeholder buy-in and build confidence, saving time and resources otherwise spent on a small-scale pilot. Think of it this way: you wouldn’t pour just part of a building’s foundation to decide if the whole structure is worth building. Similarly, mapping only a fraction of your space rarely gives the full picture or the value you’re aiming for.
Closing Thought #
A small pilot feels safe, but a map ending abruptly halfway down a corridor leaves customers stranded and budgets bruised. Usually, the wisest course is the bold one: embrace full coverage, deliver a complete experience, and avoid the hidden traps that “low cost” pilots set along the way.