Post 2: Developing a Clear Strategic Vision

Now that we have a handle around our end user needs, it’s time to formalize how the organization will approach solving for those needs through its strategic vision.  This stage is not necessarily exclusive to AI-centric projects but is especially important in this case as these choices will set the stage for the investment of both human and financial capital towards these efforts.

Questions that the strategic vision may answer include:

• What will the organization look like in the next1-3 years, with respect to people, processes, and technology?  
• What technologies should we be focusing on, and what will no longer be a going concern?  
• What should we be learning internally, and what skills should we be looking externally for, via hiring or partnerships?  
• Who will be driving these initiatives, and how will they be funded?

An effective strategic plan puts a framework around determining the overall direction of an organization and includes short,medium, and long-term objectives for the technology to attain.  Naturally, the medium and long-term goals will be a bit ‘fuzzier’ due to the uncertain future of the technology, but the main purpose is to be the compass for your AI team to reference.

Short-term objectives are usually attainable within 1-3years, with results seen in as little as 6 months.  Often, these project are those that optimize processes already within the organization. From an AI perspective, these goals may include reducing user workload and improving confidence in incorporating AI into everyday tasks of lower consequence.  

Medium-term innovations look to 2-5 years and are a bit more elusive, sometimes adapted from adjacent industries and applied to a new business context.  In the context of AI,this means existing the role of AI to improve collaboration between human-machine teams.  By being able to more efficiently interact with machine output, more routine tasks of greater impact may be migrated to AI-enabled systems.

Longer-term innovations typically stretch the time frame from 5-12 years and are more visionary in nature. These improvements will be non-incremental, and tend to be more disruptive, radical, or involve changes in architecture.  Especially when dealing with such a rapidly changing field, the discussion focuses around what an optimal end state may look like, regardless of the capabilities of present day technologies.

A strategic vision is crucial for an organization as it provides a clear framework for future growth and resource allocation,particularly when integrating AI technologies. By answering fundamental questions about the organization's future state and required capabilities, a strategic vision guides both short-term actions and long-term innovations.  It helps the organization anticipate and shape its future rather than just reacting to external changes, setting a well-defined direction for technology adoption and process optimization. This approach ensures the organization remains adaptable and proactive in a dynamic technological landscape, maximizing the potential for success and innovation.

Contact us at info@nvisionkc.com right away to start a journey towards AI integrations that are based on facts. Let us show you the manifold possibilities on how to optimize your operations and strategy for your company.