Just as it says. I'm sure this has been explained a thousand times, but what is the difference between Pilot vs Preview?
We are switching to v16 soon and I'm testing some stuff in Tessitura Web. Some of the items say "Preview" next to it and others say "Pilot." I know both generically mean they aren't in the general release currently (meaning they won't be in PROD and we can't use them).
Basically I just want to know which one means we get it sooner?
I don't know that it has been clarified and it's certainly not a dumb question. I can try a dumb answer though and I'm sure there are loads of folks can/will do a more accurate job.
Software (and loads of stuff like art) go through development stages and there is a huge area of study in that often weaving in Project Management methodology like agile. The reason is to provide s better system of building and testing in bursts that can be more in line with what the market/customer wants and to give features in a timely and tested manner, and save the costs of taking 5 years to build a lemon. People use the terms a little differently but you'll hear Proof of Concept, Prototype, MVP and Pilot used in succession.
Early on after the ideas have been formulated it often starts with a Proof of Concept. Is your theory worth pursuing technically and/or financially? Rough draft script readings, can be a Proof of Concept in theatre. That is a limited build to test your hypothesis in controlled conditions. e.g. can you book a ticket via a web interface and take payment?
If you are ok with that you can Prototype features to test whether parts of the idea can work. You do enough protypes (alphas) till you understand your Minimum Viable Product. That should give you the estimated cost of the a roadmap for getting up a Pilot.
Once you know it's worth trying, and the prototypes and MVP is sound you can build in the architecture to get a Pilot. A pilot has enough features that it's testable but not ready to be rolled into Production. There might be limits as you invite UAT testing on almost ready features. TV pilots are common. Seinfeld discovered they needed Elaine in the Pilot and Star Trek had a completely different captain. Either way the show format stayed the same.
Preview versions are in final testing and have been integrated into a future version of production. Previews are aimed at a more open audience. There might be a last minute bug or two and some tightening of the integration but it's past build.
Hope that makes sense. It's how Ive come to understand how the production line works generally for tech (and arts and science). Tessitura might be a little different though in their process.
Thanks Heath, I found your explanation of the development process enlightening - and I love your arts-related examples!
Once again, Heath, you come up with a very smart yet entirely relatable and easy to understand explanation for something that isn't always simple!
Hi Chelsea -
Heath provided such a lovely and resonate journey through software development; I think all that leaves for me to do is add the final 'what it means in Tessitura's world' explanation. Our definitions of Pilot and Preview are close to Heath's, but with a few Tessitura specific nuances.
Anything with a 'Pilot' label is only accessible in a non-production environment (test or dev for example). This is usually a first look or early access to the particular functionality. Functionality under this tag may change before it moves to preview or general release. The purpose of it being available to you our members is to allow you to test, play with and provide feedback in an earlier stage of the software. However, it is not at a place where we have finalized the feature set completely and may be missing some of what we know will be in the final functionality.
The 'Preview' label means the functionality is available on all environments, production and non-production and will affect live data. Preview functionality is usually additive in nature, and potentially still has the older, classic functionality or screens still available to a user. In v16 specifically, you will see this most often applied to our web screens. New web screen features tagged as Preview are accessible in two locations: in the web application in the new format (Preview), and in the desktop application in the original format and location. This lets you explore these new web screens while maintaining business as usual. Both locations act on the same live data.
To recap and answer your question "which one means you get it sooner" the answer is Preview, as that indicates functionality that you can use on a production v16 environment. Pilot is not yet available on a live production instance and is at a younger stage in the product software lifecycle.
Hope that helps!
Heather
Between your answer and Heath's, I really get it now! Now I can go back and tell my team that we are slowly but surely going to be able to get away from Citrix!