Smartsheet launches AI tool to bridge strategy & work

Smartsheet has launched vsActual, an AI-native product for strategic planning and execution intended to link enterprise strategy with work taking place across teams and business systems.

It is designed to address two common problems in large organisations: work spread across disconnected tools, and manual reporting that can delay the detection of budget, schedule and staffing issues.

The product reads data from systems already used by corporate teams, including Oracle, SAP, Workday and Salesforce, as well as work management and service platforms such as Jira and ServiceNow. This is intended to give leaders a live view of whether work is progressing in line with strategic priorities.

It also takes strategy documents held in presentation decks, budget papers and spreadsheets and turns them into what Smartsheet describes as a living plan. The system can then model scenarios using budget and capacity data, and flag overruns, delays and resource conflicts as they emerge.

Another function is automated reporting. AI agents in vsActual can gather data, reconcile information from different systems and draft executive summaries, while leaving people in charge of decisions and any changes to the plan.

The launch comes as companies try to apply AI to planning and operations while dealing with fragmented internal data. VentureBeat Intelligence found that 64% of respondents traced poor AI responses to missing business context, a finding Smartsheet cited as part of the case for the new product.

Execution graph

Behind vsActual is what Smartsheet calls its Execution Graph, a data model that maps how work connects from tasks and projects through to programmes and strategic goals. The system is built on 20 years of workflow intelligence drawn from millions of projects and nine petabytes of data, according to Smartsheet.

The structure is designed to show what work is under way, who is involved, and what permissions, approvals and standards apply. Smartsheet says this governed model allows AI agents to operate within the same access limits as the people they work for.

Rajeev Singh, Chief Executive Officer at Smartsheet, set out the company's argument for the new offering. "Every company has a strategy. The ones that win are the ones whose work actually delivers on that strategy," said Singh.

"AI has made people faster, but it's pulled work further apart, and leaders find out too late that the plan and reality have split. We're building the Execution Hub, where strategy and execution meet. Our Execution Graph holds 20 years of context on how work really gets done, context others are trying to recreate, and we already have. vsActual puts that context to work, closing the distance between plan and actual so every team, leader and agent is pointed at the outcomes that matter most," he said.

The broader market issue is the long-standing gap between planning and delivery. Smartsheet cited PMI research that found leaders identified the disconnect between planning and execution as the biggest barrier to reinventing their businesses.

Keith Kirkpatrick, Vice President of Research at The Futurum Group, said the spread of work across multiple environments has made that challenge more visible. "AI has exposed a gap that many organizations have lived with for years. Strategy lives in one place, while the work lives in dozens of others," said Kirkpatrick.

"As work spreads across teams, systems, partners and agents, leaders need one place to see whether it's all still headed in the same direction. Smartsheet is addressing this challenge head-on by bringing work, data and strategic priorities into a single hub with a new AI-native planning layer that gives leaders a real-time view of execution, underpinned with the context required to ensure confident decision-making," he said.

Customer view

Smartsheet also pointed to interest from existing users of its project and portfolio tools, citing Bealls as one example. The retailer uses Smartsheet to manage its project portfolio, align resources and support strategic execution, according to the company.

Elizabeth Dandola, Senior Director of PMO & QA at Bealls, said: "At Bealls, Smartsheet provides the foundation for how we manage our project portfolio, align resources, and drive strategic execution.

"vsActual has the potential to take that value even further by bringing long-range planning, budgeting, and portfolio management together in a more connected and adaptive way. We're particularly interested in its ability to support scenario planning, provide greater visibility into capacity and tradeoffs, and help organizations more effectively align investment decisions with evolving business priorities."

The product marks a further move by Smartsheet beyond task tracking and workflow management into planning, budgeting and portfolio oversight, as software groups seek to place AI tools closer to operational and financial decision-making.