From Pilots to Platforms
Tripty Arya
May 31, 2025
C-Suite Leaders,
Multifamily leaders are investing more in innovation than ever before, and yet feel further behind. The issue isn’t a lack of ambition. It’s the failure of well-intended pilots to deliver enterprise transformation. The dominance of AI , this past year has further added to that complexity, because our approach to technology is lost in early innings.
Across the industry, we see a recurring pattern: tech pilots that begin with excitement fade out with little impact. They don’t scale. They don’t stick. They drain time, trust, and talent. Why? Because pilots are meant to validate, not transform.
Not Built for Enterprise
Technology in multifamily wasn’t built for the enterprise. For years, innovation was site-driven: solutions were sold to building staff, billed back to assets, and framed as operational line items — not strategic infrastructure. In this setup, ‘enterprise’ meant Outlook and Office 365. Innovation was reactive, tools were siloed, and evaluation happened in isolation.
It in under this set up that the pilot model emerged. And it reinforced these dynamics. Try it in a few buildings. See if it “works.” Measure what’s easy. Avoid change management. Move on. This culture was never about scale. It was about accommodation. But in a world of AI and data-driven operations, that mindset won’t hold.
From Experiments to Enterprise: What We’ve Learned
The shift to AI has raised the bar. AI is not a tool you buy — it’s a system you integrate. It combines automation, insight, and adaptation into a new operational layer. Think less “feature upgrade,” more “operating system rethink.” Pilots can’t expose how AI transforms operations. They can only scratch the surface. The most successful AI transformations — whether at Airbus, BP, or the NHS — share one trait: they weren’t built around tools. They were built around simulations & scalability.
Airbus used AI to simulate thousands of production pathways, streamlining aerospace manufacturing without disrupting operations. They did this with the right platform partners and a mature attitude towards data.
BP partnered with Palantir to integrate two million data streams across its global operations, enabling real-time optimization and predictive maintenance. They did not attempt it at a single location.
The NHS, facing the most complex logistical challenge in a generation, used an AI partner to simulate vaccine distribution — scaling decisions across millions without a single manual pilot.
Each of these organizations invested in simulation, not experimentation. That distinction matters. Because simulation is about transformation — not evaluation. They all had in common a clear mandate with a partner, who understood the value of scale and impact. They did not run “solutions” and ask their teams to validate - “do it work”. The shift in the strategic lens from feature-testing to systems modeling is an enterprise maturity that we need to embrace for the next 10 year cycle.
Why Transformation Needs a Different Playbook
AI is not traditional tech. It’s not just a tool — it’s a layer of intelligence across your operations. It augments decisions. It transforms workflows. It adapts to input. AI may present itself as a chat interface, but the real impact lies in how it connects and transforms entire systems.
That’s why AI cannot be evaluated in isolation. It must be simulated across systems and enterprise. It is also referred to as “running in silent.” And it’s typical to platforms like Palantir, Travtus or IBM deploying AI transformation. Its means quietly simulating impact across a portfolio — so leaders can observe the shift in workflow, value, and outcomes before anyone has to change their behavior. More importantly, leaders need to redesign their “normal” through this simulation. Simulation isn’t a workaround — it’s a strategic foundation. It prepares your organization for change before the change begins.
And it requires something many vendors can’t offer: enterprise maturity. Ask every AI partner: “Can you simulate full-portfolio impact without disrupting operations?” If not, they’re not built for your scale.
What’s a simulation?
A simulation, or ‘running in silent’ is not a pilot or a demo. It is a live, controlled environment where your existing systems and data are connected to a new AI solution — without disrupting daily operations. It mirrors how AI would operate across your portfolio — so you can observe impacts, test integration, and preview decision changes without disruption.
A Playbook for C-Suite Leaders Ready to Scale
Transformation is a leadership responsibility. Here’s a practical enterprise framework, based on observations from those who are succeeding more than others:
[What] Focus on your P/L, not features
Identify the different triggers that drive NOI — occupancy, maintenance, compliance, risks. Align innovation to transform them end-to-end and review enterprise data , not just a departmental solution. Example: reducing head count may reduce expenses, but if it affects retention & brand, that saving is just moving to another line item on the P/L. All triggers needs to be accounted for simultaneously.
[How] Demand platform architecture from Day One
Partners matter. And evaluating enterprise technology requires a level of architectural and operational alignment that goes beyond feature comparison. C-suite leaders must ensure that vendor partnerships are assessed for integration readiness, security posture, and long-term adaptability.
[Who] Shift governance to enterprise strategy
Build a cross-functional transformation office — not just an innovation team. Budget-holders are not necessarily change leaders.
Pilots don’t scale, but transformation does.
A 2,000-unit portfolio is a $30M business. This is considered small in our industry. However, that’s enterprise scale. And yet, we still evaluate technology one property at a time. That’s not caution. That’s constraint. Especially with AI, the future isn’t tested, it’s simulated. Silently. Systemically. And at scale.
Transformation isn’t a choice, but it is a capability. The organizations that lead the next decade won’t be the ones that tested the most tools. They’ll be the ones that redesigned how they operate. Quietly. Systemically. At scale.
Until another Saturday.
Best,
Tripty
About This Email Series
This email is part of an ongoing Strategy Saturday series written for C-suite leaders and focused on the strategic shifts required to lead effectively in an AI-driven world. The insights and perspectives shared are intended to support strategic reflection and informed decision-making, rather than prescribe specific actions.
