Following the ideas shared in my previous blog, where we explored how asset operations reimagined turns every operational moment into value, this post takes a closer look at how those concepts apply to another critical business process in asset-intensive organizations: capital projects.
The world’s energy mix and infrastructure are changing in front of our eyes and record levels of capital investment is making it happen. Annual energy capex investment alone is on track to hit a record $3.3 trillion in 2025.
Whether you’re in utilities, oil and gas, chemicals, metals and mining, the ability to execute capital projects, on-time and on-budget is essential to achieving your financial targets.
A vision for AI-driven projects
Capital projects reimagined begins with a fresh perspective on how information flows through the entire project lifecycle from planning to engineering & desing through handover and commissioning. In this context, information refers to any important data – whether it’s engineering documents, QA/QC reports, project daily reports, or transactional data with vendors – processed by humans or machines at any stage.
To reimagine project execution is to rethink how this information is unified, contextualized, and made accessible across your project goals, workflows, and systems. Increasingly, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in this transformation – analyzing vast volumes of data in real time, identifying risks, optimizing schedules, and recommending actions that improve decision-making. It’s about enabling a seamless flow of unified information across departments, throughout the organization, and even beyond – to contractors, suppliers, and service providers that support your project success.
This shift breaks down information silos and empowers your project teams to deliver projects safer, faster, and with greater control.
Information unification for capital projects
Information is everywhere across projects – but it’s often disorganized, disconnected, unautomated, or unprotected. Engineering documentation, work packages, contractor communications, safety protocols, procurement data, and so much more are frequently trapped in information silos. Modernizing infrastructure and growing energy and essential commodity production accelerates when project information is unified.
As a former field engineer, I experienced this firsthand – accessing five different systems just to prepare for a single project. A unified platform connects related forms of project information at their source into a single, accessible view, reducing friction and enabling safer, more efficient, and more informed decision-making across the entire project lifecycle.
Service management unification for capital projects
Every project challenge has a moment of truth – will it be resolved or not?
Often, the answer is buried in project documentation or scattered across disconnected systems. Sometimes, it’s not captured at all. Just as holes can appear in work coveralls, information holes can form in the digital fabric of an enterprise – disrupting project workflows, delaying decisions, and increasing project risk. The future of capital project execution depends on weaving a stronger, more complete and resilient digital fabric by unifying service management.
With GenAI-powered tools, project teams can self-resolve issues instantly – reducing delays, minimizing safety incidents and enabling faster, more informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle.
Modern user interfaces for project execution
Today’s capital project workforce – and the broader ecosystem of contractors, suppliers, and service providers that act as an extension of your project team – expects intuitive, responsive, and personalized digital experiences. The future of project execution delivers modern user interfaces tailored to the needs of project managers, engineers, safety personnel, and executives.
Whether through AI assistants, mobile-first dashboards, or self-service portals, these interfaces reduce digital friction and simplify engagement with complex project systems. By streamlining access to information, modern UIs empower everyone – from project crews to strategic vendors -to focus on what matters most: safety, quality, schedule adherence, and project performance.
Digital workers and process automation for capital projects
Manual, repetitive tasks in capital projects consume valuable time and reduce focus on safety, schedule, and quality. The vision for modern project execution introduces secure, AI-powered digital workers that automate access to project documentation, compile work packages, deliver real-time insights into procurement status, monitor contractor performance, and more.
By automating routine tasks, project teams are freed to focus on higher-value work – reducing errors, improving safety, and enhancing quality across the project lifecycle.
Unified security for capital projects
While cybersecurity is typically led by IT, project leaders need confidence that the systems they rely on are secure by design. The vision for capital project execution includes built-in protection – ensuring that trusted information, digital workflows, and contractor information exchanges are safeguarded without adding complexity. This allows projects teams to stay focused on what matters most: delivery safely, on time, and on budget.
Read this executive brief and top reasons brief for capital projects reimagined for energy and resources.
