Outcomes
- Conservative net benefit of £20m+ over AMP8 (5 years), based on a 20% cost saving versus outsourced costs on £193m of capital spend, against a total internal team cost of ~£5m p.a.
- Existing pilot team of 5 engineers had already delivered brownfield work at 40% lower cost than external providers — proving the model before full rollout
- Full new business unit stood up from scratch: strategy, vision, innovation-centric operating model and organisation structure, recruitment, and governance all designed and implemented by Curzon
- 10% increase in job delivery on a like-for-like basis within three months of the team being established
- Zero reportable incidents and zero accidents in the period following launch, with a structured safety scoring system embedded across the supply chain (average supplier safety score: 3.5/5, with no suppliers scoring below 3)
- Innovation-engine enabled robust ideas-to-actions
- Phased recruitment programme initiated across 30+ roles across Delivery, Enablement, and Health & Safety functions
- Pain share from external provider underperformance had reached £14m and was rising prior to insourcing — with out-of-service equipment averaging 181 days to return versus a 30-day expectation
Background
48% of externally delivered work parcels were being completed late. Pain share from missed deadlines had reached £14m and was rising. Equipment taken out of service was taking an average of 181 days to return — against an expectation of 30 days. Safety reporting was fragmented and not embedded in management information. Meanwhile, a small internal team of just 5 engineers had quietly demonstrated it could deliver low-complexity brownfield work faster and at 40% lower cost than external partners. The client needed a rigorous business case to scale this model — and then a partner to build and run the new business unit from the ground up.
Curzon Approach
Curzon’s engagement ran in two stages: building the case for change, then designing and implementing the new business unit end-to-end.
Stage 1: Business Case and Target Operating Model
We collected performance data from the existing internal team across 20 projects to validate the insourcing concept, then extended the analysis across all capital delivery in the business to size the full AMP8 opportunity. Working with the Asset Development Planning team, we built a benefits case calculating net savings of at least £20m and designed a full Target Operating Model covering people, processes, and systems. The case secured enthusiastic senior sign-off.
Stage 2: Implementation — Building the Business Unit
Following approval, Curzon led the full implementation of the new delivery function across five workstreams:
Strategy and Vision — We defined the vision, mission, and cultural framework for the new team, grounding it in the client’s wider Water Supply strategy. Core values of trust, transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement were embedded from the outset, with a communications plan to bring the full team on the journey through monthly town halls and structured engagement.
Organisation Design and Recruitment — We finalised the new organisational structure across three functions: Delivery, Enablement/Innovation (innovation and continuous improvement, programme management, cost, procurement, and framework management), and Health & Safety. A phased, top-down recruitment programme was initiated across 30+ roles, with managers empowered to shape their own teams. Key roles were filled immediately through acting-up arrangements to maintain delivery momentum.
Process and RACI Design — End-to-end delivery processes were redesigned for the new structure, with clear ownership at every step. This eliminated duplicated hand-offs, reduced lag time, accelerated site mobilisation, and strengthened data quality to enable smarter future programme prioritisation.
Safety — Safety was built into the operating model as a core management discipline, not a compliance afterthought. Curzon ran a safety day with the supply chain, establishing shared standards and expectations across all partners. Incident reporting — including near-misses, CSIRs (Construction Site Inspection Reports), and supplier safety scores — was brought into the core management information dashboard alongside performance and team data, creating a single view of operational health for leadership.
Programme Management and Governance — A Microsoft Projects-based programme was implemented at both programme and job level, with new data logic to drive deliverability and prioritisation. Transition KPIs, a new meeting cadence, and an Enablement Team dedicated to continuous improvement were established to sustain performance beyond Curzon’s direct involvement.
