Smartsheet’s new AI tool tracks corporate strategies, suggests fixes

Smartsheet, a work management software company, introduced an AI-driven tool called vsActual to assist company executives in monitoring and managing organizational strategies. This standalone "AI-native" application, unveiled at Smartsheet's Engage event, is distinct from the company's primary software.

vsActual integrates with various business applications, including Oracle, Salesforce, SAP, Workday, and Smartsheet itself, to gather data. The AI agents within vsActual can be activated by natural language prompts or automatically in the background. They perform tasks on behalf of users, such as creating a "plan of record" that outlines goals, timelines, budget, and capacity limits.

A planning agent within vsActual aids in capacity planning and scenario modeling, while a drift agent continuously identifies issues such as budget overruns, schedule delays, and resource conflicts. The data quality agent ensures the accuracy of the information, while the reporting agent keeps users updated on any changes across projects.

vsActual's AI agents are designed to support the C-Suite, specifically the CFO and COO, who often deal with challenges like budget creep and timeline drift. The company's Execution Graph, a knowledge graph mapping the relationships between tasks, projects, and strategic goals, enables these agents to operate autonomously with appropriate permissions. However, human approval is required by default.

The effectiveness of vsActual's outputs depends heavily on the quality of the customer's operational and financial data. Smartsheet emphasizes the importance of establishing guardrails and processes to ensure the agents are "tested, trained, and grounded" before being assigned to complete tasks independently. Human intervention and judgment are still crucial when required.

Smartsheet has been incorporating strategic planning features into its core work management platform, such as scenario modeling and portfolio tracking tools. However, the introduction of vsActual signifies a more substantial shift in the company's focus, moving from managing tasks to governing strategy, budget, and capacity. This shift is demonstrated by the Engage keynote demo, which effectively showcased the product's potential.

The arrival of vsActual positions Smartsheet to target a new customer base, transitioning from bottom-up adoption among project managers and operations teams to also catering to the needs of senior executives and strategy offices. The concept of vsActual is promising, but the launch requires Smartsheet to sell a product unlike its well-known offerings.

The tool is currently in early access, with general availability planned for early 2027, and pricing details have not been disclosed. However, it will likely involve usage-based billing.