Rethinking Capital Project Delivery
Rethinking Capital Project Delivery
Agentic AI–Driven Strategies for the New Era
About the Book
Rethinking Capital Project Delivery: Agentic AI-Driven Strategies for the New Era is a bold reimagining of how large scale capital projects are conceived, designed and delivered in an age of rapid technological change. Drawing on insights from frontier sectors like aerospace, energy and advanced manufacturing, this book makes the case for moving beyond rigid, legacy delivery models and embracing an adaptive, product centric mindset.
At the heart of the book is a simple but powerful idea: capital projects can no longer afford to be “one and done.” In a volatile world, the most valuable assets are those designed to evolve. Through real world case studies, cutting edge examples and strategic frameworks, the book explores how agentic AI, digital twins and modular design are enabling continuous delivery, learning and optimisation, at scale.
Whether you're an executive overseeing mega projects, a strategist navigating energy transition or a technologist building the next generation of infrastructure, this book offers a fresh blueprint for delivery. It challenges assumptions, demystifies emerging technologies and provides practical pathways to create more resilient, intelligent and value-generating systems.
Rethinking Capital Project Delivery is not just about doing things faster or cheaper, it’s about doing them smarter, with agility built in and future readiness by design.
About the Author
Reader Testimonials
John Andrews
APAC Agility Leader - Accenture
The problem is clear. The opportunity is compelling. So why does capital project delivery remain stuck in outdated methods, delivering sub-optimal results? In this book, Edward outlines a better path—simple yet powerful ideas like prioritising adaptability over predictability, designing for uncertainty, modularisation, digital twins, and cyber-physical integration. Each can accelerate time-to-revenue; together, they make the case for change undeniable. Yet, many resist, fearing disruption and defaulting to the comfort of tradition. Edward’s message is clear: a better way exists. It’s time for bold believers to help bring it to life.
JJ Sutherland
CEO - Scrum.inc
Since the 1950s, nearly every industry has boosted productivity—except capital projects. Despite more data, planning, and digital tools, they’ve grown less efficient, overwhelmed by complexity, stakeholder demands, and market shifts. The result? Cost overruns, delays, and missed goals. Sound familiar? Other sectors—software, manufacturing, even defense—faced the same and overcame it not by tightening control, but by embracing agility. They built adaptive systems, responsive teams, and processes fit for uncertainty. This book offers a bold new approach to capital project delivery—one that values agility, customer focus, and treats change as an advantage, not a threat. Doing more of the same isn't just ineffective—it guarantees failure.
Table of Contents
- Part I - The Current Reality: Why Change Is Inevitable 8
- The Capital Project Delivery Revolution 9
- My Journey in Transformation 16
- For Those Ready To Build the Future 22
- The 99.5% Failure Rate 27
- Mega Projects Fail Early 32
- Control Over Flow: Why Legacy Models Stall 44
- Beyond Front End Loading 53
- Solving the Wrong Problems 63
- Part II - The Root Causes of Underperformance 76
- Why Projects Fail - Again and Again 77
- Think Your Project Is Unique? Think Again 96
- The Cost of 'One and Done' 102
- The Rigidity Trap 121
- Construction Reimagined: From Bottleneck to Advantage 139
- Part Ill - Building the Future Delivery Model 152
- Rethinking How We Build 153
- From Linear To Adaptive Processes 159
- Leadership at the Edge 177
- Vision That Inspires, Relentless Focus on Value 196
- Modularity as a Model for Adaptive Delivery 218
- Iteration Over Perfection 231
- Engineering Cultures That Accelerate Innovation 244
- Agentic Pods: the Future of Project Teams 262
- Data at the Core of Delivery 290
- Integrated Delivery Networks 301
- Reinventing Delivery, Powering the Future 311
- Appendix 1: Appendix 1: Traditional vs Adaptive Project Delivery: A Comprehensive Comparison 316
- Appendix 2: Agentic AI in Traditional Delivery 334
- Glossary of Terms 356
- Bibliography 360
- Index 367
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