First Airport Roundtable ‘Flight Path to Success’: Capital Planning Transformation at Vancouver International Airport
In the ever-evolving aviation sector, managing asset-intensive infrastructure presents unique challenges due to the complexity and scale of its operations.
Our first Airport Roundtable community discussion was attended by representatives from some of the world’s leading airports. In this conversation, Daniel Clement, Director of Asset Management at Vancouver Airport Authority (YVR), April Hutchen, Regional Sales Manager at Copperleaf, and Alan Scott, Principal Solutions Consultant at Copperleaf, shared the implementation and first stages of YVR’s transformative journey to refine its capital investment planning process.
YVR is the second busiest airport in Canada, serving over 26 million passengers. In 2024, they reclaimed the award for Best Airport in North America at the Skytrax World Airport Awards. In line with its dedication to continuous improvement, YVR’s capital planning transformation initiative is focusing on aligning long-term strategic goals with investment opportunities, risk management, and operational efficiency. Copperleaf® is playing a pivotal role in this transformation.
Traditional Challenges in Capital Planning
In a poll taken during the roundtable discussion, it was clear Daniel and YVR were not alone in the challenges faced by YVR in capital planning. Recognizing that many airports face these same or similar capital planning challenges, Daniel explained how YVR sought a solution to streamline its capital planning process, provide clear visibility into asset risks, and align investments with strategic goals. It identified Copperleaf as the ideal solution due to its robust portfolio management capabilities and ability to integrate various aspects of capital planning into a cohesive system—with value at the heart of every decision. YVR engaged in extensive discussions with Copperleaf and its existing clients to ensure the solution would effectively address its specific needs.
We chose Copperleaf to break down silos and unify different managers and business leads with a common system. By creating a portfolio of quantifiable value models, we aligned with a top-down approach and plan to expand it for future growth and investment.”
DANIEL CLEMENT
Director of Asset Management
Vancouver Airport Authority
Implementation and Integration
YVR started implementing the Copperleaf solution in January 2024, focusing on capturing investment candidates and aligning them with strategic objectives. This phase involved extensive collaboration with stakeholders across the organization to define what value means to YVR and how it aligns with corporate goals.
One of the initial steps was configuring Copperleaf to capture investment ideas ready for the next round of capital planning. This step was completed in six weeks.
The next step was to design a decision-making framework and associated planning processes to ensure all potential projects were considered and evaluated consistently, and to determine which combination of investments generate the most value for YVR in support of the next round of capital planning. This phase was delivered in a further 26 weeks, including the design and configuration of a structured Value Framework to enable all investment ideas to be valued against a common economic framework, for asset risks to be fully quantified, and to ensure alignment with YVR strategic objectives.
YVR held workshops and meetings with representatives from across the business to ensure all stakeholder’s needs were represented in the Framework including the required value drivers, value measures and alignment to strategic objectives.
Achieving Significant Results
As YVR enters its next round of capital planning with the Copperleaf implementation, it now has the capability to determine and defend the highest-value investment portfolio, produce plans more efficiently, and respond quickly to changes in budget or priorities.
The Copperleaf solution enables YVR to quantify and compare the value and risk of different investments, ensuring decisions are data-driven and aligned with strategic objectives, which provides transparency and accountability to stakeholders, both internally and to the wider stakeholder community.
Additionally, the Copperleaf solution has fostered a culture of upfront planning, encouraging asset owners and business leads to think critically about projects before proposing them. This structured approach ensures investment proposals are well thought out and supported by robust data, leading to higher quality business cases and higher-value investment decisions. The ability to run and analyze various “what-if” scenarios also allows YVR to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and make informed decisions efficiently.
We’re now able to do a lot more upfront planning, which now requires asset owners and business leads to think more—and more strategically—about projects before proposing them, and back them up with data so the process has more trust and rigor, and investment options are higher quality.”
DANIEL CLEMENT
Director of Asset Management
Vancouver Airport Authority
Improved Risk Management and Visibility
With improved visibility into risks, YVR can take a more proactive approach to risk mitigation. By identifying high-risk projects early, resources can be allocated, and strategies developed to address potential issues before they become critical, ensuring smoother project execution and better outcomes. This capability will lead to better-informed decisions and a more proactive approach to risk management.
One of the most powerful tools provided by the Copperleaf product suite is its ability to visualize and manage risk. YVR can now track the risk associated with each project over time and demonstrate to executives how different investment scenarios impact overall risk. This detailed risk profiling allows executives to understand the potential risks and benefits of each project, leading to more strategic decision making.
The Transformation Continues
By aligning investment decisions with long-term strategic goals, YVR is better positioned to drive customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, and financial sustainability.
As our airport community grows, our roundtable discussions will be a hub of collaboration and innovation. By continuing to share knowledge, lessons, and best practices, participants will gain tangible benefits and valuable insights to enhance operations and better serve their customers.
To learn more about how value-based decision making and investment optimization has helped other companies in the transportation sector, check out this article published on Transit Asset Management America.