CII 2025 Spring BOA Meeting – Workshop Results

April 23, 2025

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On April 17, the CII Board of Advisors participated in a workshop that marked the beginning of our ideation process. The primary goal of the workshop was to capture an initial set of ideas and identify the overarching themes that the Board envisions for CII’s R&D initiatives for 2026

These ideas are now available for other groups to utilize. They may choose to further develop specific topics or use them as a starting point for their own brainstorming sessions.

Question	Category
How can we automate the construction site to remove boots from the field? *	Moonshot (Breakthrough)
How do we substantially reduce the time of development from conception to delivery in half the time? *	Moonshot
How can we enhance PDRI to be customizable for sector-specific applications (Power, Energy, offshore, etc.) *	PDRI Expansion
Should we tailor or align PDRI to address the need of nuclear energy (SMR/Baseload) to optimize FEP and Readiness Assessment*	PDRI Expansion
How do we transition custom engineering design to design for manufacturing?	Efficiency
Why do we continue to experience challenges with change management even with the CII best practice? How do we accelerate impact quantification, value assessment, decision-making, and implementation? *	Efficiency
What are the core project management principles, practices and tools to focus on and scale up/down based on project size and complexity	Efficiency
How can a centralized integration function improve alignment, efficiency and value delivery across disciplines and phases in capital project execution.	Efficiency
How do we get the right data when and where it is needed to reduce project disruptions (vendor data)	Efficiency
How do we get the right data when and where it is needed to reduce project disruptions (vendor data)	Efficiency
How are other sectors attracting youth?	Workforce
After decades of the same workforce issues how can we shift to focus on the people-side of projects? Increase field superintendent and craft.	Workforce
Leveraging AI tools to set up best practices for site selection.	AI / Tech development question
What are "standard" AI tools that should be used while protecting proprietary information?	AI / Tech development question
How to evolve the supply chain to integrate with project objectives, reduce risks and Obtain buy-in with key stakeholders early in project?	Collaboration / Integration
How can we prioritize project collective outcomes over individual company profit in our contracting strategy?	Risk Management
What contracting models are best for risk allocation? Which is better for project cost?	Risk Management

*Ideas selected by the FSC to be further developed by the committee members.

The FSC reviewed the ideas and elected to support the development of four of them. However, all these ideas have the potential to be further developed into topics and submitted via the online form before the July 15 deadline. We encourage CII groups and individuals to consider these ideas, at the very least, as a starting point for their own ideation sessions.

During the BOA meeting, we surveyed the attendees with a set of thought-provoking questions. We captured the themes across the responses, processed the results using AI tools, and presented the results on the second day of the meeting. We also want to share these results here so other CII groups and individuals can see the themes the CII Board of Advisors had in mind. This can also assist CII groups in organizing their own workshops.

Table: Unique Themes for Each Question

If we were to completely reimagine project delivery from scratch, ignoring all current constraints and assumptions, what would it look like?	What would success look like for project delivery in 10 years, and what's the biggest obstacle preventing us from achieving that vision?	What would you do differently or focus on if you could start your career over, knowing what you know now?
Radical simplification and standardization "Plug and play" modularization Fully integrated, seamless ecosystems Gamification of delivery	Predictability and performance benchmarking as core success indicators Contracting models as barriers (outdated, adversarial structures) Culture of safety, fun, and mental health (human experience) Labor and skills shortages as a barrier	Personal growth and leadership focus (character-driven leadership, mentorship, purposeful risk-taking) Earlier engagement with organizations like CII Broader exposure early in career (supply chain, business acumen, systems thinking)

We also presented the common themes observed across all questions:

1. Integration of Technology and AI

Emphasis on using AI, automation, digital tools, and real-time data to optimize project planning, execution, and collaboration.
Desire for seamless data flow, tech-enabled decision-making, and gamification to enhance productivity.

2. Standardization and Simplification

Calls for modularization, common components, and standard tools/processes to reduce complexity, improve speed, and lower costs.
A push to eliminate customizations and "waste" from legacy processes.

3. Collaborative, Aligned Delivery Models

Shift toward collaborative contracts, shared risk/reward, and aligned teams from owners to contractors.
Focus on trust, transparency, and team-first mindsets as key enablers of success.

4. Culture & Change Management

Recurring obstacle: resistance to change, especially with new tech and modern practices.
Need for cultural shifts, senior leadership buy-in, and mindset change to drive innovation.

5. Workforce & Leadership Development

Investment in people skills, leadership, and cross-functional knowledge.
Focus on upskilling, attracting new talent, and replacing retiring expertise with tech-supported roles.

6. Data-Driven Performance & Predictability

Desire for predictable, on-time, on-budget delivery with reduced variability.
Use of benchmarking, analytics, and business intelligence to inform decisions and improve capital efficiency.

We appreciate the input from our Board of Advisors and would like to offer this to all members as a way to help their efforts to ideate new R&D topics.

CII 2025 Spring BOA Meeting – Workshop Results

Question

Category

*Ideas selected by the FSC to be further developed by the committee members.

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