The solution provides teams with dynamic, parametric models of the execution plan and uses advanced analytics to evaluate millions of sequencing and resource-loading scenarios. By treating labor, equipment, materials, space, and sequence as adjustable variables, teams can stress-test alternatives, understand the ripple effect of each decision, and make informed trade-offs across cost, duration, and risk impact.
The results are tangible. A leading global data center provider applied generative scheduling to simplify schedule logic, eliminate inefficiencies, and optimize sequencing and resource allocation. This effort uncovered more than 13 optimization opportunities and ultimately enabled a ~40 percent reduction in the baseline construction schedule.
“Generative scheduling is reshaping how complex capital projects are planned and delivered,” says René Morkos, Ph.D., CEO and founder of ALICE Technologies. “Together with McKinsey, we are helping organizations integrate this capability into broader transformation efforts and drive sustained impact at enterprise scale.”
Technology alone, however, does not close the performance gap. Capturing the full value at stake requires rewiring the entire organization. Lasting impact goes beyond the software implementation: it takes robust capability building, an integrated operating model embedded in existing planning and delivery processes, and continuous benchmarking that feeds execution data back into future plans. ALICE enables scalable insight by ingesting BIM models and P6 schedules to simulate millions of execution paths and identify the most efficient and resilient options. Deep scheduling and construction expertise allow contractors and owners alike to accurately model real-world project conditions to improve on-time delivery.
“Rethinking capital project planning and delivery is essential to address the stagnant performance in cost and schedule outcomes,” says Martin Linder, senior partner and leader of McKinsey’s Capital Excellence Practice. “By leveraging advanced technology, data-driven decision-making, and collaborative planning, stakeholders can optimize project delivery, maximize value, and adapt to the increasing complexity of modern capital projects.” The future of capital projects lies in embracing innovation and continuously improving planning methodologies, and stakeholders must commit to these changes to achieve transformative results.
As capital projects grow more complex and the value of capital at stake continues to rise, the organizations that combine AI- and analytics-enabled tools with disciplined ways of working will be best positioned to deliver large-scale projects with greater certainty—on time and on budget.
Through an open ecosystem of alliances, McKinsey continues to collaborate with leading technology providers to help clients unlock lasting performance improvements.
Read the announcement on McKinsey's website.
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