Designing the Future State: Where Strategy Meets Imagination
This is the third post in our Strategy Series, published every Thursday. Each week, we explore how Australian organisations can rethink their operating models, embrace AI with intention, and stay ahead of the curve.
AI isn’t coming, it’s already here. And, for plenty of Australian businesses, it’s quietly saving time, money, and a few headaches behind the scenes.
You’ve mapped your current state. You’ve spoken to stakeholders, untangled processes, and maybe had a few “ah-ha” (or “uh-oh”) moments. Now comes the fun part: deciding what the future should look like, and making sure it actually works.
Future state design is where strategy meets imagination. But it’s also where a lot of digital transformations go sideways. Why? Because it’s tempting to jump straight to solutions. Or build a shiny new operating model that looks great in a slide deck but falls apart in the wild.
We don’t want that for you.
Start with why, not just what
Before you start redesigning org charts and drawing up future workflows, pause. Ask:
Why do we need to change in the first place? What will be better once we do?
The best future state designs don’t just mirror your competitors. They tailor solutions to your unique goals, constraints, and customer experience. If it’s not tied to a business outcome, revenue, retention, cost-to-serve, or speed, it’s not strategy. It’s wishful thinking.
Look through multiple lenses
Strong future state designs take into account more than just tech.
✔ Capability lens – What should your business be able to do in the future that it can’t do now?
✔ Customer lens – What would “great” feel like from the outside in?
✔ People lens – What roles, skills, or support will your teams need to make this work?
✔ Data & decision lens – How will you measure success, make better choices, and adapt faster?
When you design from these angles, you don’t just make things prettier, you make them work better.
Don’t jump to the tool
We love technology (especially Salesforce and Agentforce), but here’s the truth: no platform is going to save your strategy if you haven’t designed a business model it can support.
Your future state should shape your technology, not the other way around.
Let’s say your current contact centre takes 10 minutes to resolve a simple booking change. You want that down to 90 seconds. Great. Now ask:
What needs to change in your process?
What needs to change in your data?
What kind of AI or automation would actually make that outcome happen?
That’s where platform selection starts to become obvious and useful.
Get buy-in before you go big
Here’s the trick: design with your people, not for them.
That includes execs who need to sign off, but also the folks who’ll actually use the future state. Include them early. Show your work. Bring them along as co-designers, not recipients.
This is where small commitments matter: stakeholder interviews, playback sessions, and early walkthroughs of new process flows. It builds trust and keeps you honest.
Our take? Prototype early, test often
Your future state model doesn’t have to be perfect from day one. It just needs to be grounded, directionally right, and testable. That’s where low-fidelity prototyping and AI-assisted modelling tools come in.
Sketch the thing. Pressure test it. Change it. And once it feels solid? Start building in layers, with the right data, people, and platforms supporting it.
Ready to sketch what’s next?
We’ve helped businesses and public sector teams go from “we should do something” to “we know exactly what to do next.” If you’ve mapped your now and you’re ready to shape your next, let’s design it together.
No jargon. No ivory tower. Just sleeves-rolled-up strategy that actually gets built.
We Lead Out helps business and government leaders navigate transformation with confidence, starting with the foundations that matter. Reach out to learn more about the trends affecting Australian businesses.
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