Kingsfield is 40: A business journey
Kingsfield is 40 years old this year. Today, we are primarily a training business, although we still continue to support our clients on commercial & contractual challenges they face on their projects. Now the majority shareholding is held by Kingsfield’s employees through an Employee Ownership Trust, which reflects our culture, beliefs and values as a business. Where we are today is the product of decades of experience, learning and evolving in response to client requirements, ever-changing market conditions, and employee commitments and needs.
When we started, we were working in our client’s offices or were embedded in their projects – today, we are an online business, meeting and training virtually. I was a founder member of Kingsfield and its 40th “birthday” seems a good place to share a reflection on the journey the business took.
We began as a claims consultant operating in the international arena, firstly in the civils, infrastructure and buildings sector, but soon we began working almost exclusively in the international industrial plant sector, primarily for contractors but also for some owners. Our services have evolved over the years, but our focus has remained firmly on what it takes to deliver commercially successful projects.
We have been involved in helping our clients make or defend very many claims, including for extension of time and recovery of additional costs. We also have a wealth of experience with disputes, where we have fulfilled a variety of roles for our clients. Although we therefore have plenty of expertise in supporting our clients pursue claims and disputes through adjudication, arbitration and litigation, we believe a well-prepared negotiation is the far better option for them to achieve realistic and durable settlements, something we strongly encourage. Today our primary consulting role is to provide strategic advice and guidance to our clients’ project teams that enables them to deal with complex commercial project issues and achieve the outcomes they require on their projects.
About twenty years ago, we initiated the business stream that became Kingsfield Academy, and four years ago, the central part of the company. The training we have been providing is rooted in the areas of our consulting expertise – how to manage scope, risk, contract, change, claims on projects, together with how to build and maintain productive stakeholder relationships at the same time. The training services complemented our consultancy work in helping our clients help themselves in dealing with often commercially critical issues. From the start, we wanted the training to reflect in the ‘classroom’ the conditions our clients experience in reality on their projects. We were early adopters of elearning and today, we have a suite of courses that cover the various aspects of commercial and contractual project management.
Even before the advent of COVID-19, we were developing online learning as an alternative to face-to-face training workshops. The pandemic accelerated this development and today, almost all our training workshops are delivered virtually, or through elearning or in blended programs combining both. Our clients appreciate the cost to benefit (compared with F2F workshops), the opportunity to mix delegates from across functions and regions, the greater flexibility for participants to attend courses, and the effectiveness of the training design and delivery technology we use. Our portfolio includes a comprehensive range – from longer-term programmes tailored to our client’s requirements, stand-alone workshops on specific subjects, and foundation level elearning.
And so, what does the future hold for Kingsfield Academy? Our succession planning involved the introduction of an Employee Ownership Trust. Today that succession plan is evolving and will play a part in the long-term continuity of the business. Over 40 years, we have proven our ability to respond to change, to create change and re-invent ourselves in order to overcome the challenges confronting us. That is who we are, and therefore I foresee a long-lasting prosperous future for the business.
To existing clients, we say – we are there for you, and to prospective clients – why not talk to us and explore how we can support the development of your team members?
My own role in the business has changed over the years, and I wholeheartedly support my colleagues in taking the lead, which allows me to focus on the areas I’m passionate about. These include;
- helping industry to adopt collaborative practices in project delivery – without which I fear the Energy Transition won’t be anywhere near as effective as it should be, and
- in the context of project collaboration, my work with others to establish a collaborative contracting framework suitable for this industry – the Collaborative Working Agreement – which is available for free through the European Construction Industry (of which I remain Chairman)
In addition, and as long as I continue to add value, I will support the development of others as trainer, coach & subject matter expert on Kingsfield Academy’s courses and programmes and provide strategic advice to client project teams to help resolve critical commercial issues.
John Fotherby – Partner in Kingsfield Academy; Founder member of Kingsfield Consulting