From Discovery to Production: A Four-Step Framework for Quantum Adoption

Quantum computing is starting to deliver measurable business value around the world as organizations begin leveraging quantum-classical hybrid technology to solve complex optimization problems that can be too time consuming for classical solutions. These quantum-classical applications are driving operational improvements, cost savings, revenue opportunities, and business agility.

While every organization’s quantum journey is unique, there are four common steps to realizing real-world value from the technology: problem discovery, experimentation, pilot projects, and production deployments. 

How Global Businesses Are Realizing Value From Quantum Computing Today

• Japan: NTT DOCOMO, Japan’s largest telecommunications company, found that by using D-Wave's quantum-classical hybrid solutions, it could increase capacity at cellular base stations and reduce paging signals during peak calling times by 15%. This network optimization application has since moved into production deployment. 

• Germany: BASF, a multinational chemical producer, developed a joint proof-of-concept project with D-Wave that used a quantum-classical hybrid application to optimize manufacturing workflows in a BASF liquid-filling facility. The quantum-classical hybrid technology reduced production scheduling time from 10 hours to just seconds. 

• Canada: Pattison Food Group, the largest purveyor of food and healthcare products in western Canada, worked with D-Wave to create a quantum-classical hybrid auto-scheduler for its weekly driver delivery scheduling, reducing scheduling time by 80%. This application is operating in production. 

• United States: In an early application, AT&T used D-Wave's technology to reduce processing time for a network optimization workload from approximately one hour to less than 15 seconds. Building on this initial work, AT&T plans to explore using D-Wave’s quantum computing technology across a broader set of applications, such as outage detection and response, technician routing, network build planning, and traffic management. 

Let’s take a look at the four-step framework organizations can use to incorporate quantum computing into operations and start driving value. 

Step 1: Problem Discovery—Understanding Where Quantum Computing Drives Impact  

Every successful quantum journey begins with understanding where quantum computing can drive business impact. Problem discovery helps organizations determine which problems are appropriate for quantum, hybrid or classical approaches. 

Problem discovery is the first step in the D-Wave Launch™ program, a structured engagement offered by D-Wave that connects businesses with our team of quantum experts and partner ecosystem to accelerate the path to deploying quantum applications in production. D-Wave's experts help customers identify the problems within their business that are the right fit for quantum computing, and which aren’t. This phase of the program also includes online training, professional services, and access to the Leap™ quantum cloud service. 

Step 2: Experimentation—Testing and Validating Quantum Use Cases 

Once organizations understand the potential of quantum computing and have identified candidate problems, the next step is to develop quantum proofs-of-concept to test their applications with business data. Using representative business data and realistic application requirements are the best ways to measure the business value that can be realized.  

Some organizations choose to explore independently, while others engage directly with D-Wave's quantum experts and partner ecosystem. Working with experienced teams can shorten the learning curve, accelerate problem formulation, and identify data quality issues that might otherwise delay progress. This step can be where organizations discover their highest-value opportunities and build the foundation for their scalable quantum applications. By combining customer domain expertise with D-Wave's quantum expertise, organizations can move from experimentation to business value faster.

Step 3: Pilot Projects—Demonstrating Quantum ROI in Real-World Operations 

Pilot projects allow organizations to validate performance, measure return on investment, and understand how quantum solutions integrate with existing workflows and systems. This is the step where thoughtful change management planning helps to drive enterprise adoption and, ultimately, validate the financial or operational business case of the quantum application in real operational environments. User and stakeholder feedback about conditions that can affect adoption is important during this step.  

Step 4: Production Deployment—Scaling Quantum Applications to Deliver Business Value 

The final step is deploying the application into production and integrating it into day-to-day operations. This is where organizations can begin to capture sustained value from their quantum applications. It’s the phase when the application becomes part of an ongoing business process, with defined users, performance requirements, integration points and measurable business outcomes.  

Across industries, organizations deploying quantum applications are seeing enhancements in operational efficiency, resource utilization, scheduling, routing, and decision-making. As production deployments expand, organizations are starting to shift from proving that quantum computing works to scaling the impact it can deliver. 

By following these four steps, other organizations can reach the same destination: realizing measurable business outcomes from quantum computing. With access to expert guidance through the D-Wave Launch program, organizations can obtain a clear roadmap to move from curiosity to understanding, from experimentation to deployment, and ultimately to realizing real-world value.

Start Your Quantum Journey Today.

Ready to see what quantum can do you for your business? Start here to explore use cases, speak with a quantum expert, and apply for the D-Wave Launch program.

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