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 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. Define your future state by describing your proprietary data advantages and operational leverage metrics. For example, specify that your operational delivery is seventy percent automated with a human-in-the-loop validation layer. Define your revenue-per-FTE target, aiming for double or triple your current industry benchmark. 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. By describing capabilities rather than specific software names, you keep your leadership team focused on the strategic destination. 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. Your focus must remain on the structural capability of the business, ensuring that your team has GWC™ (Get It, Want It, Capacity to Do It) for the automated processes, regardless of the underlying vendor. This approach keeps your strategy defensible and prevents your V/TO® from looking like a temporary software integration plan to potential buyers.