Proof of Concept Information
A proof of concept (POC) or a proof of principle is a realization of a certain method or idea(s) to demonstrate its feasibility,[1] or a demonstration in principle, whose purpose is to verify that some concept or theory that has the potential of being used. A proof-of-concept is usually small and may or may not be complete.
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Usage history
The appearance of the terms in news archives suggests it might have been in common use as long ago as 1973.[2]
One of the early definitions of the term "proof of concept" was by Bruce Carsten in the context of a "proof of concept prototype" in the column "Carsten's Corner":
Proof-of-Concept Prototype is a term that (I believe) I coined in 1984. It was used to designate a circuit constructed along lines similar to an engineering prototype, but one in which the intent was only to demonstrate the feasibility of a new circuit and/or a fabrication technique, and was not intended to be an early version of a production design.[3]
The column also provided definitions for the related but distinct terms 'breadboard', 'prototype', 'engineering prototype', and 'brassboard'.
Examples
In filmmaking
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, 300, and Sin City were all shot in front of a bluescreen with almost all backgrounds and props computer generated. All three used proof of concept short films.
Pixar sometimes creates short animated films that use a difficult or untested technique. Their short film Geri's Game used techniques for animation of cloth and of human facial expressions later used in the Toy Story 2. Similarly, Pixar created several short films as proofs of concept for new techniques for water motion, sea anemone tentacles, and a slowly appearing whale in preparation for the production of Finding Nemo.
In Engineering
In engineering and technology, a rough prototype of a new idea is often constructed as a "proof of concept". For example, a working concept of an electrical device may be constructed using a breadboard. A patent application often requires a demonstration of functionality prior to being filed.
In Business Development
In the field of business development and sales, a vendor may allow a prospect customer to trial the software product. This use of proof of concept helps establish viability, technical issues, and overall direction, as well as providing feedback for budgeting and other forms of internal decision making processes.
In security
In both computer security and encryption, proof of concept refers to a demonstration that in principle shows how a system may be protected or compromised, without the necessity of building a complete working vehicle for that purpose. Winzapper was a proof of concept which possessed the bare minimum of capabilities needed to selectively remove an item from the Windows Security Log; but, it was not optimized in any way.
In software development
In software development, proof of concept (abbreviated POC) is often used to describe several distinct processes with different objectives and participant roles:
- A proof of concept can refer to a partial solution that involves a relatively small number of users acting in business roles to establish whether the system satisfies some aspect of the requirements.
- By contrast, the objective of a proof of technology is to determine the solution to some technical problem, such as how two systems might be integrated or that a certain throughput can be achieved with a given configuration. No business users need be involved in a proof of technology.
- A pilot project refers to an initial roll out of a system into production, targeting a limited scope of the intended final solution. The scope may be limited by the number of users who can access the system, the business processes affected, the business partners involved, or other restrictions as appropriate to the domain. The purpose of a pilot project is to test, often in a production environment, whether the system is working as it was designed while limiting business exposure.
In clinical drug development
Although not suggested by natural language, and in contrast to usage in other areas, Proof of Principle and Proof of Concept are not synonymous in clinical drug development.
Proof of Principle or PoP refers to the earliest stage of clinical drug development, most commonly called Phase I and conducted in typically 10-20 healthy volunteers who are given single doses or short courses of treatment (eg, up to 2 weeks). Studies in this Phase aim to show that the new drug has some of the desired clinical activity (eg, that an experimental antihypertensive drug actually has some effect on reducing blood pressure), that it can be tolerated when given to humans, and to give guidance as to dose levels that are worthy of further study. Other Phase I studies aim to investigate how the new drug is absorbed, distributed, metabolised and excreted (so-called ADME studies).
A decision is made at this point as to whether to progress the drug into later development, or if it should be dropped.
Proof of Concept or PoC refers to the next stage of clinical drug development, most commonly called Phase II and conducted in typically up to 100 patients with the disease of interest. Studies in this Phase aim to show that the new drug has a useful amount of the desired clinical activity (eg, that an experimental antihypertensive drug reduces blood pressure by a useful amount), that it can be tolerated when given to humans in the longer term, and to investigate which dose levels might be most suitable for eventual marketing.
A decision is made at this point as to whether to progress the drug into later development, or if it should be dropped.
Later stages of clinical drug development involve larger numbers of patients treated at doses and durations representative of marketed use, in comparison to placebo and/or existing active drugs. They aim to show convincing, statistically significant evidence of efficacy and to give a better assessment of safety than is possible in smaller, short term studies.
See also
- Case study
- Concept vehicle
- Feasibility study
- Prototype
- Sanity testing
- Technology readiness level
- An example:
References
- ^ Investorwords.com
- ^ News.google.com
- ^ Carsten, Bruce. Carsten's Corner. Power Conversion and Intelligent Motion, November 1989, 38
Categories: Evaluation methods
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