1.1 Product Portfolio
The product suite SHALL consist of two tightly integrated products:
Strategy Cards — strategy creation and alignment
Workbench — strategy execution, tracking, and governance
Each product MUST be independently usable but deliver maximum value when combined.
2. Core Product Outcomes
2.1 Primary Outcomes
The system MUST enable organizations to:
Create clear, shared strategic intent
Translate strategy into executable initiatives
Track progress against goals in real time
Maintain a single authoritative view of strategy execution
2.2 Target Users
The product MUST support:
Executives and senior leaders
Strategy offices / PMOs
Operational excellence teams
Portfolio and program managers
Project owners and contributors
3. Strategy Cards — Design Criteria
3.1 Strategy Creation
Strategy Cards MUST:
Support structured strategy creation using proven frameworks
Enable exploration, comparison, and refinement of strategic options
Reduce reliance on slides, spreadsheets, and ad-hoc documents
3.2 Alignment & Collaboration
Strategy Cards MUST:
Enable collaborative workshops and facilitated discussions
Promote shared understanding across teams
Capture rationale, assumptions, and decisions
3.3 Usability & Speed
Strategy Cards MUST:
Minimize time spent on blank or unstructured work
Guide users step-by-step through strategy formulation
Enable rapid iteration and refinement
4. Workbench — Design Criteria
4.1 Strategy Execution
Workbench MUST:
Translate strategic objectives into initiatives, projects, and actions
Link strategy directly to delivery mechanisms
Support execution methodologies including:
Strategic Portfolio Management
Hoshin Kanri
Operational Excellence
OKRs
4.2 Tracking & Measurement
Workbench MUST:
Provide real-time tracking of initiatives and projects
Support KPI, metric, and scorecard management
Enable visibility from enterprise level down to individual ownership
4.3 Governance & Accountability
Workbench MUST:
Clearly define ownership and accountability
Support portfolio-level governance and prioritization
Enable decision-making based on impact, capacity, and alignment
5. Cross-Product System Capabilities
5.1 Single Source of Truth
The system MUST:
Centralize all strategy, execution, metrics, and reporting
Eliminate fragmented tools and duplicate data
Provide one undisputed, authoritative view of progress
5.2 Traceability
The system MUST provide end-to-end traceability between:
Strategic goals
Initiatives and projects
KPIs and financial outcomes
Individual and team objectives
6. Portfolio Management Criteria
6.1 Portfolio Structuring
The system MUST:
Support grouping of initiatives into strategic portfolios
Allow portfolios to reflect business-specific structures
Support domains such as:
M&A
Operational Excellence
Financial Transformation
ESG
Private Equity portfolios
6.2 Portfolio Analysis
The system MUST enable:
Alignment and impact assessment
Capacity and demand balancing
Dependency and delivery risk analysis
Funding and resource evaluation
7. Integration & Extensibility
7.1 External Systems
The platform MUST integrate with:
Project management tools
ERP systems
CRM systems
Other enterprise data sources
7.2 Configurability
The system MUST:
Adapt to organizational language, processes, and structures
Support multiple regions, languages, and operating models
Avoid forcing rigid or prescriptive workflows
8. Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
8.1 Process Enablement
The system MUST:
Support Lean, Hoshin Kanri, and continuous improvement methods
Enable consistent reporting across units and regions
Encourage countermeasure-driven improvement, not just KPI reporting
8.2 Automation
The system MUST:
Automate manual reporting and reconciliation
Reduce time spent maintaining spreadsheets
Free users to focus on execution and improvement
9. Reporting & Visibility
9.1 Reporting Capabilities
The system MUST provide:
Portfolio-level dashboards
Scorecards with consistent definitions
Drill-down from enterprise to project level
Real-time status visibility
9.2 Financial Visibility
The system MUST:
Link improvement activity to financial outcomes
Provide shared visibility between Operations and Finance
Support savings tracking and value realization
10. Non-Functional Design Criteria
10.1 Usability
Intuitive for non-technical users
Minimal training required for core workflows
Clear visual models of strategy and execution
10.2 Scalability
Support global organizations
Scale across portfolios, regions, and users
Maintain performance with large datasets
10.3 Reliability
High availability for executive-critical reporting
Data integrity across integrated systems
11. Success Criteria
The product SHALL be considered successful if it:
Replaces spreadsheet-based strategy execution
Improves alignment across teams and functions
Increases execution confidence for leadership
Demonstrably improves delivery of strategic initiatives
