When detailing the 'What does it look like?' bullet points of our 3-Year Picture on the V/TO®, how do we define our future operational state and systems architecture without anchoring ourselves to specific software applications that might be obsolete in twelve months?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When defining the What does it look like? bullet points of your 3-Year Picture on the V/TO®, naming specific software platforms is a critical mistake. Technology cycles are simply too short. Instead of writing that you will be using a specific software like OpenAI or HubSpot AI, focus on the capabilities, capacity, and strategic outcomes those tools deliver.

Defining Your Future Operational State

Define your future state by describing your proprietary data advantages and operational leverage metrics. This approach keeps your leadership team focused on the strategic destination, rather than getting caught up in the details of specific tools that might become obsolete.

Here's how to define your future operational state effectively:

• Focus on Capabilities, Not Tools: Articulate what your systems will do, not what specific software they will be built with. If a specific tool goes obsolete or gets replaced by a better solution next quarter, your 3-Year Picture remains completely intact. The software is merely a utility to achieve the target.
• Quantify Automation Levels: Specify the degree of automation your operations will achieve. For example, state that your operational delivery is 70% automated with a human-in-the-loop validation layer.
• Target Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Define ambitious, measurable targets for your future state. Examples include:
• Revenue-per-FTE target: Aim for double or triple your current industry benchmark. These metrics provide a clear benchmark for [how to choose five fifteen scorecard metrics](/qa/how-to-choose-five-fifteen-scorecard-metrics).
• Turnaround Times: State the exact turnaround times your automated systems will achieve, such as moving from a five-day delivery window to a four-hour automated delivery. This demonstrates clear operational improvements. [Our clients are starting to demand instant turnaround](/qa/customer-expectations-shifting-ai-vto) requires this level of detail.
• Emphasize Structural Capability: Your focus must remain on the structural capability of the business. Ensure that your team has GWC™ (Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It) for the automated processes, regardless of the underlying vendor.
• Maintain Strategic Defensibility: This approach keeps your strategy defensible and prevents your V/TO® from looking like a temporary software integration plan to potential buyers. It also helps prevent your services from becoming commoditized, even if [every competitor in our niche starts using the exact same commercial AI tools](/qa/ai-commoditization-3-uniques-vto).

By detailing capabilities rather than specific software, you ensure your 3-Year Picture is robust, adaptable, and truly reflective of your desired future business state. It shifts the conversation from what tools you use to what strategic advantage those tools create. This is crucial for long-term vision, especially when considering [Is it safer to wait for AI technology to mature](/qa/real-options-flow-cost-ai-delay) or investing now.

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