As organizations re-think their real estate portfolios to drive culture and performance, achieve sustainability commitments and increase overall workplace experience, capital projects are becoming a critical aspect of workplace strategy. We sat down with Rose Williams, Vice President of Capital Project Services, to discuss how capital projects are evolving, and what clients should be thinking about as they plan for the future.
Capital projects is a broad term, and that’s intentional. At ISS, we support clients at every stage of the project life cycle and across a wide range of industries and sectors. Broadly speaking, our work falls into two key areas of strategic focus.
The first is what I’d call facilities-driven solutions. This includes overseeing the improvement, replacement and ongoing maintenance of assets across a client’s portfolio, from building services and vertical transportation to broader infrastructure upgrades. A major part of this work today is focused on sustainability, where we partner closely with leaders to help them meet their environmental and decarbonization goals.
The second area is real estate-driven solutions. This includes capital planning, as well as design and construction project management, across environments like commercial offices, laboratories, transportation hubs, retail and manufacturing sites. Here, the goal is to help clients drive productivity and maximize return on investment by using data-driven insights to inform smarter decisions across their portfolios.
Overall, the definition of capital planning continues to evolve. Clients are increasingly looking for a trusted partner, one that understands their business, can manage projects of varying scale and complexity and can bring innovation and thought leadership to the table.
Capital projects sit at the intersection of many of the challenges organizations are facing today. Portfolios are being reassessed, assets are aging, sustainability expectations are rising and workplace needs are changing rapidly. Capital investment is no longer just about maintaining buildings — it’s about positioning organizations for the future.
When done well, capital projects help organizations align their physical spaces with business strategy. They support employee experience, enable operational resilience and ensure assets perform as intended over the long term. That’s why we’re seeing clients place greater emphasis on thoughtful planning and execution, rather than treating projects as one-off initiatives.
Alignment is critical. The most successful projects are the ones where capital planning is aligned early with broader real estate, facilities and business strategies. When those pieces come together, organizations are better positioned to control costs and deliver outcomes that truly add value for their customers and employees.
We also see growing importance in using data to inform decisions, whether that’s understanding workplace utilization data, asset performance, prioritizing investments or modeling long-term scenarios across a portfolio. Capital planning has become far more strategic and integrated than it was in the past.
My biggest piece of advice is to engage early. Early engagement helps manage risk and opens the door to more strategic thinking from the outset.
I’d also encourage leaders to be ambitious with their project goals. Capital projects offer real opportunities to think creatively, especially when it comes to customer and employee experience. Designing for an ever-changing future is essential, and that means considering flexibility, adaptability and long-term value from day one.
And finally, I’d say enjoy the process. These projects can be complex, but they’re also a chance to bring strategy to life in a very tangible way.