Appraising the Assessment and Discovery Phase of the mining lifecycle
As we continue our series where we dig deeper into the five phases of the mining lifecycle, we make an appraisal of the Assessment and Discovery phase. What are the unique challenges mining companies face during this phase, and how can technology— specifically a Mining Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)—solve for these challenges? Below we’ve identified five of the most important ways your Mining ERP Solution adds value during the vital Discovery and Assessment phase.
The state of Discovery and Assessment
The Discovery and Assessment phase kicks off once you find something of value. Here is where your mining company determines whether it’s feasible to continue—something easier said than done. Discoveries rely on good field work, quality geoscience, fund-raising and planning to bring them to the Development stage. During the Discovery and Assessment stage, you are seeking permits, leases and licenses along with hiring additional personnel and purchasing additional tools and equipment. Financial considerations are very important in this phase as environmental impact mitigation, remediation and the actual discovery work processes are costly.
The right technology for the Discovery and Assessment phase
Moving beyond the Exploration phase in your mining operation and into the Discovery and Assessment phase means your financial and operations needs are also growing more complex. We council our mining clients to consider the long term big picture and invest in a Mining ERP Solution right from the start. However, we know that many mining companies find themselves in the Discovery and Assessment phase still relying on entry-level accounting software and beginning their search for a more capable application.
Mining is hard work, and we won’t pretend that the right Mining ERP Solution will help you strike gold, but we can say with assurance that with a robust, high-functioning ERP and business management solution working alongside you, your odds are greatly increased. Below are five of the most important ways your Mining ERP Solution adds value during the Discovery and Assessment phase.
- Payroll and human resource management
Expanded work activities take place during the Discovery and Assessment phase, with more people on the ground and more cross-departmental and cross-functional coordination required to manage the project logistically and financially. This expanded level of staffing and complexity demands a dedicated human resource management solution (HRMS), covering:
- HR administration
- Payroll
- Talent acquisition
- Talent management
- HR planning
- Reporting and analytics
- Project costing budget management
The Discovery and Assessment phase involves a lot of moving parts: engineering, geology and resource modeling, process planning and more. Robust budgeting and project costing capabilities are necessary to ensure the project stays on track. An ERP solution designed for the mining industry will offer the ability to:
- Manage project budgets set up by work and cost breakdown structures
- Track labor, materials, equipment costs and overhead
- Generate comprehensive reports and inquiries
- Remote site processing
Mining operations tend to take place off the beaten path, as opposed to a city’s central business district. Accurately and efficiently managing one or more remote mining sites requires a Mining ERP Solution that works in the cloud—one that requires few on-site IT resources to deploy and maintain—one that offers:
- Instant access to real-time financial and operational data
- Anywhere, anytime access from any device (with internet connection capabilities)
- Automated backups and enterprise-level security
- Protect your assets
In the early exploration phase, a small number of capital assets may be tracked in spreadsheets, but as assets and equipment investments grow during the Discovery and Assessment phase, this low-tech approach becomes untenable. Mining companies will benefit from a Mining ERP Solution that allows you to:
- Track the items and equipment you use to run your mining operation
- Prepare year-end financials, allocate costs and calculate depreciation
- Flexibly manage of capital budgeting and construction-in-progress projects
- Monitor and track asset maintenance, repair and usage
- Configurable workflows for purchasing and project expenditures
Let’s be honest—the Discovery and Assessment phase is a costly; your mining organization is going to be buying a lot of products and services. Your ability to manage and control the requisition, approval and ordering of these expenditures will have a direct impact on the bottom line. Look for a Mining ERP application that offers:
- Configurable workflows for requisition and invoice approval
- Budget tracking against purchases
- Insight and visibility into the entire procurement cycle
For mining organizations, maximizing any and all return on investment (ROI) is critical. The volatility and risk associated with the industry means expenditures must provide deep positive impact to operations to justify themselves. Investing in Mining ERP software provides payback by streamlining your operations and increasing your control over critical processes. The selection of a proven Mining ERP Solution is key to driving your mining success.
Caron Mining Solutions is a comprehensive, powerful and easy-to-use mining industry ERP solution, built on Sage ERP software, that addresses the challenges modern mining operations face. Learn more about Caron Mining Solutions here, or by contacting us here.
