CHRIS BRODIE CONSULTING

PROGRESS UPDATE

22 APRIL 2016

 

2015:

Towards the end of last year, business tailed down after substantial contracts with True Gold Mining (TGM) for most to of the year dedicated our resources. The deliverables for supply chain development of Vancouver-based TGM’s Karma mine were:

-          Assist the ERP implementation team with development, coordination and installation of supply chain manual and electronic processes

-          Design a complete supply chain process, including:

o   Requisitioning

o   Tendering and Bidding

o   Contracts and POs

o   Expediting, tracking and the movement of materials

o   Service orders and contracting

o   Inventory management and replenishment

o   Warehouse design and management

-          Providing a full and comprehensive Supply Chain Process Manual

 

All were accomplished by the end of the third quarter, leaving me free to work on other projects for the rest of 2015 from our bases in UK and Kazakhstan. These included partnering with Prolog Supply & Services Ltd, UK (more about this in a later post) and developing continuing business through a winter of depressed mining for our associate supply company Aquila Limited (more of this too in a later blog).

 

I also worked with the OECD working group in Kazakhstan. OECD is helping Kazakhstan to restructure its mining industry governance, a major undertaking that requires new laws and authorities. This is crucial to the wellbeing and future of Kazakhstan because of its economic reliance on its mineral wealth.

 

This year:

The first quarter of 2016 has been interesting and diverse year. In conjunction with our partners, we have:

-          Furthered our work with OECD

-          Developed SCM service support with clients in Africa

-          Completed assignments with major overseas mining corporations in Central Asia (and hopefully will continue with this exciting work over the next few years)

-          Visited Turkey to develop SCM partnerships for our group of partners.

-          With his wide experience and knowledge of regional (Europe, CIS, Central Asia and MENA), Chris sat on a panel of experts as logistics specialist entitled Iran: Economic synergies, trade and investment strategies at the Turkey Trade & Export Finance Conference 2016 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Istanbul on 22 - 23 March 2016.

-          We are expecting to commence work imminently on a mine closure program in Turkey. We have done this before in USA and Canada.

 

Of course, our normal business is carrying on and we continue to give SCM advice to existing and new clients around the world. This is the core of our business.

 

Strategy:

Although commodity prices remain low, consensus indicates that prices may have bottomed out. Copper bounced back over $5,000 per tome in March and although it has dropped again, hopes are growing that this is a positive indication. There is still a long slow hill to climb, but we believe that we are on the lower reaches of the path that will, eventually and inevitably, cycle back round to strong mining activity.

 

Mining continues around the world and much of our work this year is with exploration projects. Exploration is key to future growth for mining companies and those that continue exploration and development will be ready to bring resources on line much quicker than those companies that curtailed or ceased exploration during this downturn. Our aim is to increase our work with such forward-thinkers.

 

Operating mining companies have felt the pinch for the last few years and we continue to help those that know the true benefits of strong supply chain management. We are able to do this by:

-          Process audits

-          Reviewing and suggesting improvements to existing processes

-          Assisting with implementation of those improvements

-          Training and development of SCM personnel

-          Providing short- and medium-term personnel at all levels

-          Special projects, such as ERP upgrades and change management projects

-          Logistics management

We are called in to conduct confidential forensic audits from time to time, often in association with process audits

 

Our full range of services can be seen here

 

We currently have spare capacity. Don’t hesitate to call, email, Skype or use the contact form on this site to discuss your mining supply chain needs further.

 

If mining is truly showing the first shoots of resurgence, this is the perfect time.