Energy and Power
Smarter capital planning
Using data and digital tools to de-risk energy assets
Ed Macdonald Practice Leader, Asset Transformation
Uncertainty is nothing new in the energy and resources sector. Markets move, regulations tighten, and funding fluctuates, but the infrastructure we rely on still needs to deliver. For many of our clients, the real challenge isn’t just keeping up with change; it’s knowing where, when, and how to invest in their assets.
That’s where digitalization is proving beneficial. When you’re managing thousands of assets—each with its own condition, cost, and carbon impact—instinct and experience can only take you so far. Data brings clarity. It helps leaders see what really matters, make decisions faster, and get more from the assets they already have.
Our Enterprise Decision Analytics (EDA) platform was built to do just that. By combining condition data, advanced analytics, and scenario modeling, it helps clients predict risks, prioritize investments, and adapt to volatile funding environments. It takes what’s often a subjective process and makes it evidence-based—giving people the confidence to make the right call.
As I often say, EDA gives clients the confidence to say yes or no faster.
Turning lifecycle data into smarter decisions
In an industry defined by long-term assets, the most powerful thing you can do is connect every stage of the lifecycle. That’s what digital tools such as EDA make possible. They help decision-makers see beyond the immediate challenge—identifying where investment today will have the greatest impact tomorrow.
I’ve seen firsthand how this changes the conversation. Instead of debating which project should come first, teams can now test thousands of ‘what-if’ scenarios to see how different funding decisions affect portfolio optimization, capital planning, master planning, and energy performance. In a world where capital is tight, that agility is invaluable.
Across industries, organizations using EDA have reported planning and reporting times cut by up to 80%, 35% cost savings, and measurable gains in asset reliability and energy efficiency.1 Those savings can come through fewer unplanned maintenance call-outs, smarter preventative maintenance schedules, and optimized asset utilization. But for me, the real value lies in what it unlocks—a smarter, more transparent way to manage assets across their lifecycle.
Reduction in reporting times
Cost savings
The future of lifecycle management
Digital tools are only part of the story. What really matters is how they’re used to rethink the lifecycle itself—to see assets not as static pieces of infrastructure, but as evolving sources of value.
In our Energy and Manufacturing teams, we’re helping clients reimagine end-of-life assets as opportunities, not liabilities. When production stops, many industrial sites sit on the balance sheet as costly obligations. We see them differently. Decommissioned sites can be transformed into data centers, renewable generation projects, or value creation opportunities—giving them a second life and creating long-term, sustainable value.
Energy companies, in particular, have a golden ticket in this space: powered land already tied into the grid. Repurposing these sites can fast-track investment, attract partners, and keep infrastructure productive long after its original purpose ends. It’s a new model of lifecycle efficiency that merges energy infrastructure with the digital economy.
We’re also seeing digital efficiency as the next frontier of asset longevity. Across energy and manufacturing portfolios, there’s still huge untapped potential in how assets use energy. Working with partners like CoolPlanet and Honeywell, we’re deploying low-CAPEX, AI-driven solutions that make assets run cleaner, longer, and cheaper. It’s asset lifecycle extension through smart optimization.
"As I often tell clients, lifecycle management isn’t just about the years an asset is active—it’s about what it becomes after."
On the horizon with Ed Macdonald
What’s the biggest missed opportunity in asset management?
The end of an asset’s life. Too often we see closure as an endpoint, when it can actually be the start of something new.
What’s driving innovation in the energy and resources sector?
Speed to decision. Opportunities don’t wait. Digital tools help clients assess risk, funding, and feasibility faster—and that’s become a real competitive advantage.
What do you think will define the next era of lifecycle management?
Integration. The future lies in connecting lifecycle planning, funding, operations, and repurposing strategies through one digital thread of data.
What’s one piece of advice for energy leaders right now?
Invest in agility. The market will keep changing—but if your decisions are backed by data, you can adapt with confidence.
A final thought
Smart use of data makes it possible to make more sophisticated decisions about asset performance.
As priorities shift and funding gets tougher, tools like EDA can help leaders strike the right balance between ambition and practicality—planning more effectively, spending wisely, and showing real value across the lifecycle. For me, that’s what digital is really about. It’s not just having better data—it’s being able to make better decisions because of it.
