Loving every drop of AI-powered project intelligence: Part III - the final word from Anglian Water

Towards the end of last year, Anglian Water’s Head of Delivery Portfolio Management, Euan Black, sat down with nPlan CEO Dev Amratia to record a discussion on AW’s use of AI-led assurance and risk management. The wider context for their conversation was the impending start of AMP8, the UK water regulator’s next five-year investment cycle (industry regulator Ofwat is recommending a record £96 billion allocation of public money to sixteen water companies for AMP8 - a significant increase on AMP7’s £51bn outlay). 

In Part I and Part II of this blog miniseries, we heard Euan talk about the pressures on Anglian Water arising from the nature of AMP8, the ways in which Anglian Water is responding to those pressures, and the challenges and successes that have come with implementing AI-led assurance and risk management. In this, the final part of the series, we're kicking off with an intriguing case study of how AI has enabled Anglian Water to perfect its timing, before thinking through an alarming counter-factual, and finishing off by looking five years into the future. Let's go!

Timing isn’t everything - but it might be the thing that changes everything

As Dev pointed out, one of the most counterintuitive learnings that emerged from Anglian Water’s early work with nPlan was this: starting a project as soon as possible isn’t always the best move. Take a look:

Euan explained how their team used nPlan’s AI to retrospectively analyse previous portfolios, pinpointing exactly when each project should have been released in order to hit its original end date. The insight? Delayed releases were creating unnecessary delivery pressure, resource clashes, and compressed timelines.

By shifting away from reactive “just-in-time” starts and instead smoothing their release cadence, Anglian Water is reshaping its portfolio rhythm. The results: reduced stress, better supply chain relationships, and, most importantly, increased predictability—a word Euan returns to often, and with reason.

“The biggest thing that keeps me up at night is predictability... If we say we're going to leave site on a Tuesday, we will leave site on a Tuesday.”

Turning off nPlan? Not a chance.

When Dev jokingly asked what would happen if nPlan were “switched off” tomorrow, Euan didn’t hesitate. The fallout would be immediate—from lost time writing board reports to a flood of resourcing demands and a vacuum of insight for his portfolio managers. See for yourself:

The shift to AI-led forecasting has done more than save time. It’s fundamentally changed how the organisation operates—elevating data-driven foresight, enabling faster and more focused interventions, and freeing up teams to spend their energy where it matters most.

“It’s like we’ve got a cheat code… We’ve saved so much time. I don’t think we could go back now.”

Even with “only” 230 projects in the system at the time, the impact is undeniable. The case for scaling is clear—and the appetite to do so is strong.

Fit for AMP8—and ready to lead

As Anglian Water prepares for the AMP8 investment period, the ambition isn’t just to deliver. It’s to deliver predictably, to budget, and as promised. Here's Euan one last time:

This mindset isn’t limited to operational delivery. Euan also shares his hope that Anglian’s PMO will become a “leading light” in predictive project management—an internal centre of excellence that uses AI, data, and curiosity to push capital delivery into a new era.

“This is just the start of our technology journey… I’d love for the regulator to come back in four years and say, ‘Well done—you delivered what you said you’d deliver.’”

There’s also a clear cultural thread running through everything Euan said. Curiosity, ownership, and forward-thinking behaviours are driving the shift just as much as the tools themselves. The results? Fewer last-minute scrambles, more deliberate decisions, and a reputation for delivery that earns trust—not just within the organisation, but across the sector.

Final thoughts

Euan’s conversation with Dev wraps up with a quiet confidence: Anglian Water isn’t just adopting AI—it’s operationalising it. They're setting a precedent for what modern capital delivery can look like when you combine deep domain expertise with powerful machine learning and a willingness to think differently.

nPlan is proud to play a part in that journey. And we look forward to sharing even more insights as Anglian Water scales its efforts across AMP8 and beyond.

Stay tuned.