The 7P Compass

An Operating System for the Agentic Era

Navigate from accidental AI implementation to intentional orchestration

The Challenge

Why AI Projects Fail

What Works

  • Technology works
  • Demos impress
  • ROI calculations are pristine

What Fails

  • Adoption stalls
  • Systems sit unused
  • Workforce fears replacement

The Real Problem

  • Not technical complexity
  • Organizational complexity
  • The "People Problem"
  • Lack of clear navigation

The 7P Compass

A diagnostic operating model designed to move organizations from accidental AI implementation to intentional orchestration.

Core Principle

How do humans and AI agents work together safely, productively, and at scale?

7P

PURPOSE

The Anchor

PEOPLE

The North Star

PLATFORMS

The Enablers

PIPELINES

The Sutures

PRODUCTS

The Outcomes

PRINCIPLES

The Outer Ring

PERFORMANCE

The Pulse

01

PURPOSE

The Anchor

AI without purpose is just motion.

The Heart-Check Framework

1. Friction Tax

Soul-crushing work that drains people

2. Value Unlock

High-value work that becomes possible

3. Human Guardrail

Where AI stops, accountability begins

Litmus Test: Are we building this because we can—or because we must?
02

PEOPLE

The North Star

SMEs aren't users—they're the orchestrators.

Paradigm Shift

Old Model
  • • AI = The worker
  • • SME = The user
  • • Power flows top-down
  • • Fear of replacement
7P Model
  • • AI = The executor
  • • SME = The navigator
  • • Power flows grassroots-up
  • • Force multiplier, not threat
Litmus Test: Are your SMEs navigating the system—or being left behind?
03

PLATFORMS

The Enablers

Platforms are the invisible infrastructure, not the hero.

Modular Infrastructure Components

SME Interface — The only thing users see
Governance & Logging — Audit trails
Retrieval Layer — Vector stores, context
AI Layer — LLMs + specialized models
Orchestration Layer — n8n, Make, Airflow
Pipelines — ETL/ELT, transformations
Data Sources — Systems of record
Litmus Test: Is your platform empowering human judgment—or replacing it?
04

PIPELINES

The Sutures

Pipelines transform messy data into decision-ready intelligence.

Intelligence Pipeline Architecture

Data Sources
Multiple systems
→
Ingestion
Validate & quarantine
→
Transform
Enrich & standardize
→
Quality
Check & flag issues
→
Lineage
Track & audit
→
Delivery
Decision-ready
Litmus Test: Can your AI survive a data hiccup—or does it fall apart?
05

PRODUCTS

The Outcomes

AI becomes real only when it solves actual human problems.

What Makes a Good AI Product

Co-Designed

Built WITH SMEs • Veto power on decisions • Iteratively refined

Solves Real Friction

Addresses pain points • Enables new work • Measurable outcomes

Integrates Seamlessly

Fits existing tools • No context-switching • Feels like enhancement

Maintains Control

Clear handoff points • Easy to override AI • Complete audit trail

Litmus Test: Is your AI solving a real problem—or showcasing capability?
06

PRINCIPLES

The Outer Ring

Governance isn't a blocker—it's a trust engine.

Core Governance Principles

Human Accountability

Humans decide, AI suggests

Transparency & Explainability

Trace every decision

Data Privacy & Security

Stay within boundaries

Bias & Fairness

Monitor for discrimination

Continuous Learning

Review and improve

Litmus Test: Are your guardrails enabling innovation—or stifling it?
07

PERFORMANCE

The Pulse

AI is a living system. Performance is the feedback loop.

Key Performance Dimensions

Productivity

Time saved per case • Volume per SME • High-value work time

Quality

Output accuracy • Override rate • Issues caught

Workforce

SME satisfaction • Adoption rate • Career progression

Business

Cost per case • Time to resolution • Customer impact

Learning

System improvement • Edge case reduction • Model performance

Litmus Test: Are you measuring what matters—or just what's easy?

Getting Started

Assessment

Weeks 1-2

  • Audit current state
  • Identify gaps
  • Select pilot use case
01
02

Foundation

Weeks 3-8

  • Define Purpose
  • Identify Purple People
  • Select Platform

Build

Weeks 9-16

  • Build MVP workflow
  • Co-design Product
  • Establish metrics
03
04

Scale

Weeks 17+

  • Refine based on feedback
  • Expand use cases
  • Share learnings

The Choice is Clear

Real transformation doesn't happen at the center. It happens at the grassroots—in the hands of SMEs and operators who understand the work, the nuance, and the stakes.

The question is no longer whether AI will reshape your organization. It's whether your people have the Compass to lead that change.