We are trying to write our 3-Year Picture on the V/TO®, but the technology is moving so fast that we cannot predict what our operational capacity will look like. How do we define our long-term strategic targets when the capability of our tools is a moving target?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Stop trying to predict specific software features and focus on the fundamental economic levers of your business. Your 3-Year Picture should not name specific AI tools. It should define the operational capacity and financial leverage you intend to achieve.

To do this, start with your P&L. Identify the major cost centers where your human team spends time on repetitive, low-value tasks. Your strategic goal for the 3-Year Picture is to break the linear relationship between headcount and revenue by automating those specific areas.

As technology experts Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee argue, the real economic gains come from redesigning business models around new technology, not just pasting it onto old processes. In your 3-Year Picture, define what your human team will actually be doing once AI handles the administrative baseline.

For example, project a future where your team is smaller but operates at a much higher margin because their roles have evolved to focus entirely on high-impact strategic priorities. Describe a company that can handle ten times your current transaction volume because your core processes are fully automated. By defining the operational outcomes rather than the software, you keep your 3-Year Picture stable no matter how much the technology changes.