AI for Growth: 5 Takeaways for UK Engineering Leaders

The UK’s infrastructure investment surge presents a once-in-a-generation chance for engineering consultancies. The government has committed at least £725 billion over the next decade to economic and social infrastructure. But as Mark Orttung, CEO of Projectworks, emphasised during the recent webinar “AI for Growth: How UK Engineering Firms Can Thrive in the Infrastructure Boom”, seizing that opportunity demands more than optimism. It requires capacity, clarity, and intelligent use of AI and automation.

Here are five key takeaways from Mark’s session that every UK engineering leader should know.

“AI is one more tool to help you be more efficient, work smarter, and continue to scale your firm.” — Mark Orttung, Projectworks CEO

1. Balance growth with control

The tide of infrastructure investment means demand spikes are real, but scaling too fast without control can compromise delivery and margins. Mark noted,

“Getting these two balanced is really important. We probably had five days that we were in perfect balance.”

He added,

“Having a project intelligence platform with AI and automation tools gives you control over growth, cash, and margin. You’re not just waiting for growth to happen, you’re setting yourself up to capture it.”

Engineering consultancies that harness AI-driven project insight will be in a stronger position to manage utilisation, resource allocation, and margin protection.

2. Automate administration so you can focus on impact

Back-office burden often saps consulting firms of time and energy. Mark’s recommendation is clear:

“The more you can automate the administration pieces, the better. It gives you more time back to spend with clients or on the strategic pieces of running your firm.”

By alleviating tedious tasks, firms free their leaders and engineers to focus on value-adding work, a prerequisite for sustainable engineering consultancy growth.

📘 Want to see a tried-and-tested roadmap for scaling a consulting firm profitably?
Download the Consulting Growth Cheat Sheet, created by Mark Orttung and the Projectworks team.

3. Start small with AI, but start now

There’s a misconception that firms must build full-scale AI programs or hire specialists before getting value. Mark pushed back:

“It’s really about who can learn the fastest, who can experiment the most, and who can get ahead of the curve.”

Mark added,

“As leaders, you should lead the way in experimentation. Start small, test, learn, and improve. Don’t make it too complicated.”

For engineering consultancies, that means identifying targeted use cases such as proposal writing or resource forecasting and iterating quickly. It’s the mindset that drives engineering consultancy growth in the AI era.

4. Build repeatable growth before it builds you

At some point, growth makes firms harder to run. Mark described two “walls”:

“You’ll hit two walls as you grow, first when you become the bottleneck, and then again when all decisions still route through you. AI and structure help you break through both.”

Many firms reach 100-150 staff still running on spreadsheets. That’s a slippery slope. Adopting structured systems and AI early means developing predictable, repeatable growth that scales.

5. Use AI to unlock smarter, more human work

Contrary to fear, AI is not about replacing engineers. It’s about elevating them.

“I have not seen any specific job be automated by AI,” said Mark. “People can be more productive with AI. It helps build a leaner, more resilient business.”

Mark encouraged everyone to use these technologies to spend,

“Less time on the work we hate and more on the work that’s really challenging.”

For engineering consultancies, this means freeing your team from repetitive tasks and enabling them to focus on creativity, problem solving, and client value, an essential dimension of engineering consultancy growth.

The next wave: AI-powered proposals

Projectworks is putting these ideas into action with its upcoming AI Proposals Engine. The tool lets firms ingest past successful proposals, build a content library, and generate new drafts in minutes while leaving the final control firmly in the hands of engineers.

“We’ll help you create the first draft, but you control it. We want to remove a big chunk of the work and make your life easier.”

➡️ Curious to see how AI Proposals will transform your project workflow?
Speak to a Growth Consultant to see Projectworks in action and learn about AI Proposals.

Final thoughts

Mark closed with simple but powerful advice: start small, test, learn, and improve. The firms that approach AI with an engineer’s mindset, measuring, iterating, and refining, will be the ones who thrive in the UK’s infrastructure boom.

“As leaders, you should set the example. Everyone should try it. Nobody’s an expert in this stuff. Focus first on the tasks that drain your energy so you can spend more time on the work you love.”

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