From pilot to everyday: how to scale proven sustainable/digital solutions - in weeks, not years
Nordic Tourism Plan 2025-2030 is clear: stop getting stuck in pilot projects and scale up the digital solutions that are proven to work. But how do you go from pilot to everyday practice? For stakeholders in hotel and campsite scaling up a digital solution can feel overwhelming. However, the rewards - in terms of increased revenue, higher occupancy and less administration - come quickly with the right approach.
In this article, we outline a concrete roadmap on how to go from pilot to full operation in just six weeks. We focus on one high-impact area (direct bookings with a smooth payment flow). You'll see how a single platform reduces integration debt and how smooth migration and 24/7 support shortens the path to operation. By avoiding parallel systems that hide value and measuring results in real time (revenue, occupancy, time), you create the conditions to scale up successfully. Finally, we present a practical checklist - so you can go from 'interested' to actually implementing your scaling.
Pilot trap slows down development
Getting stuck in endless pilot projects is a common pitfall. While small tests can provide insights, real change only happens when a solution is widely implemented in daily operations. The Nordic Tourism Plan emphasises that there is great potential in scaling up existing solutions rather than constantly reinventing the wheel. In other words, if something works in one place, the focus should be on spreading it to more facilities and businesses - quickly.
"From pilot to everyday" is about daring to leave the safety of the small experiment and go all in. For hotel chains or campsites, this can mean rolling out a project that has been tested in a single unit to all units. Instead of launching another pilot project on the next trendy idea, the advice is to take what is already proven and make it the norm.
Choose a high impact area: direct bookings & payment flow
When scaling up digital solutions, it's important to choose your battles wisely. One tip is to start with an area that has a big impact on both revenue and guest experience. Direct bookings linked to a seamless payment flow is one such area. And why is that? Because every booking that comes in directly without intermediaries strengthens the margin and the relationship with the guest. In fact, the profit per direct booking can be up to 18k higher compared to a booking via an OTA (as you avoid high commission fees). In addition, you fully own the customer relationship, with the opportunity for upselling and loyalty-building communication.
By focusing on direct bookings, you also ensure that the guest experience is seamless all the way through. From the moment they click 'Book now' until payment is completed, the process should be frictionless. An integrated payment solution in the booking flow minimises the risk of abandonment and ensures that the revenue lands directly with you. Combine this with automated guest communication - e.g. confirmation emails, reminders and follow-ups - to further increase the level of service without extra manual work.
Start with existing data
A common misconception is that you have to start from scratch when implementing a new solution. In fact, you can utilise the data you already have. Existing guest and booking data is worth its weight in gold when setting up a new system. By importing your historical bookings, customer profiles and prices into the new platform, you get a quick start. This allows the platform to instantly display relevant KPIs and insights based on your own business, instead of generic examples.
Using existing data also helps you set realistic targets. If you know that your direct booking share today is say 20 %, you can set the target to reach 30 % within six months with the new solution. Use your numbers as a baseline. Plus, staff won't have to input everything from scratch, reducing the risk of errors. A platform like Lyra offers smooth migration, moving all relevant information over for you, so you can focus on getting started.
Go-live in 6 weeks - week by week milestones
To avoid a project dragging on, a clear timeline is needed. Here's an overview of what a rapid roll-out of a new platform might look like, with the aim of going live in just six weeks:
- Week 1: Planning and targeting. Gather key people and set clear goals (e.g. increase the share of direct bookings, reduce admin time). Map which existing systems are affected and plan for data transfer. Communicate the timetable to everyone.
- Week 2: Implementation and data migration. Set up the new platform. Import booking data, customer records and other relevant data from your legacy systems. Ensure that integrations with any legacy systems (e.g. payment terminals) are working properly.
- Week 3: Configuration and customisation. Adjust system settings to suit your business: room or location categories, pricing, booking rules, communication templates, etc. Have experienced staff run through common scenarios in the system to verify that everything feels right.
- Week 4: Training and dress rehearsal. Train all relevant staff to use the platform - from reception and booking to finance. Conduct a dress rehearsal: simulate a full day of operations in the system (from check-in to check-out, payment and reporting). Clarify any ambiguities and collect feedback from the team.
- Week 5: Stealth start and parallel running. Go live on a small scale. Perhaps you let one department start using the new system live, while the others continue with the old one. This way you can catch unexpected problems on a small scale. Provide extra support to staff during the week and have support on standby.
- Week 6: Full operation and evaluation. Now you are switching your entire organisation to the new platform. Stop using old systems. Follow up on your key performance indicators right away: how many direct bookings came in the first week? How do your staff feel about the new way of working? Gather insights to adjust and optimise further.
By following a tight timetable like this, you can avoid the project running into the sand. Six weeks may sound short, but with focused effort and the right support, it's entirely feasible - and the benefits will come quickly.
A united platform reduces integration debt
One reason why many digital initiatives fail is the difficulty of getting different systems to talk to each other. On average, most hotels and campsites use at least ten different software systems in their daily operations. It could be a PMS for room booking, a separate booking engine for the web, a stand-alone point of sale (POS) system for the restaurant, a system for guest communication via email, and so on. Each additional system adds potential sources of error and integration costs.
The solution is to gather as much as possible in a common platform. By having PMS, WBE (online booking), POS, CRM (guest database) and reporting in the same system, you avoid data silos and duplication. Information flows freely between modules - an update to prices is reflected everywhere in real time, and guests' preferences are instantly visible to all relevant staff. You reduce the need for costly specialised integrations. At the same time, you get a more coherent picture of your business.
Smooth migration and 24/7 support shorten the way
One of the most common concerns about changing platforms is downtime during the transition. It's important to choose a provider that takes migration seriously. With the right support, you can switch systems without a minute of downtime. For example, Lyra ensures that all your historical data - bookings, customer information, invoices - is transferred before the start. This means staff can get straight back to business as usual in the new system, with all the information in place.
Beyond technology, human support is important. Having support around the clock during the first weeks after go-live is worth its weight in gold. Problems that arise at 22:00 on a Saturday need to be resolved by 22:05 - not the next working day. With a partner offering 24/7 support, staff can feel confident that help is always at hand. This shortens the learning curve and ensures that any problems don't lower morale or the pace of the rollout.
Avoid parallel systems that hide value
A trap that some people fall into when implementing new solutions is to keep the old system "just in case" in parallel. The intention is good, but the effect is often that no one dares to fully trust the new one. If staff have to double-report or compare systems' data, much of the benefit is lost - and important improvements risk being hidden in the noise.
Our advice is to, after a short stealth start-up phase, dare to make a clean shift. As soon as the new platform is proven stable on a small scale (see week 5 above) shut down the old systems. Data can of course be archived and saved, but let all operational activities take place in the new environment. Only then will you get the full effect of the improvements. Staff will focus on one way of working instead of two, and guests will have a consistent experience. Parallel systems easily lead to confusion internally and can hide the real value that the new solution creates.
Measure impact in real time
Once you've scaled up a new solution, it's important to quickly measure the outcome. A modern platform tool gives you instant visibility into key metrics. For example, in Lyra's views, you can see bookings, occupancy, revenue and guest relations in real time. By continuously monitoring these figures, you can identify early on what needs to be improved and if anything needs to be adjusted. If you see direct bookings increasing week on week after go-live, you know your efforts are working. If occupancy rises thanks to better availability and real-time price management, you can realise the value of the change.
Don't forget to measure the 'invisible' effect: reduced administration. How much time does the reception save now that manual steps have disappeared? What is the impact on guest support requests when communication is automated and information is easily accessible? By setting clear KPIs also for administrative improvements (e.g. time per booking, number of wrong bookings, response time to guest), you get an overall picture of success. All data is already in the system.
Practical checklist to scale up successfully
To conclude, here's a quick checklist to keep in mind when moving from pilot project to full-scale solution:
- Identify a proven focus area: Choose a solution that has already shown results (e.g. direct booking) rather than experimenting with something new.
- Set clear objectives: Define what you want to achieve (increased revenue, higher occupancy, better guest satisfaction, reduced administration, etc.) and communicate them to the team.
- Utilise existing data: Migrate customer and booking data to the new platform to avoid restarts and get relevant insights right away.
- Follow a strict timetable: Establish milestones (planning, migration, training, stealth launch, full operation) and stick to the schedule.
- Choose an end-to-end platform: Use a solution that covers PMS, booking engine, POS, guest communication, etc. in one, to avoid unnecessary integrations and silos.
- Ensure support: Have dedicated support during and after go-live (preferably 24/7) so that problems are solved immediately and the team feels safe.
- Dismantle old systems: Once the new is up and running, shut down the old to maximise focus and benefit.
- Measure and follow up: Keep track of key metrics such as direct booking share, revenue per guest, occupancy and time per administrative task to quantify the impact.
By ticking off the points above, you dramatically increase the chances of your digital venture moving from pilot to everyday - with the desired results. Instead of getting stuck in the pilot trap, you take the step to a new normal where the digital solution creates value every day. You establish a culture of implementation, not just testing. That's how the hospitality industry tackles the future - in weeks, not years.
