When it comes to enterprise resource planning (ERP) for mining, software solutions need to mirror the tough environments in which they will be used.
Keith Fenner, strategic sales director: Softline ACCPAC, says the mining industry is looking for everything from comprehensive workflow management, to the configuration and capturing of exploration, development and production data, to the scheduling of downtime and repairs for equipment - hence Petra Diamonds' choice of Accpac ERP for Mining.
Jacques Breytenbach, Group Finance Manager of Petra Diamonds, explains that as the company continued its strong growth, it was facing a number of challenges.
"At Petra Diamonds, we were previously using an entry-level ERP solution that had been locally installed at each branch office. As we grow and invest, we needed better control of our costs, solid forecasting, mining production controls and authorisations as well as complex consolidations. Accpac ERP for Mining provided us with an end-to-end mining platform."
Ashley Regenass, MD: Synergy Accounting (an Accpac Premier Partner), explains that this made Accpac ERP for Mining a perfect fit for Petra Diamonds.
"The Accpac solution is both robust and comprehensive. The ERP general ledger component alone offers up to 10 analysis levels enabling Petra Diamonds to drill down through the accounts to the individual shaft, activity and project. This means each of Petra's mines can track activities at cost centre, business unit, manufacturing unit and process and sub-process levels." He adds that this information can then be pulled into the Accpac Business Intelligence suite and facilitate real-time business decisions and comprehensive consolidations.
Making real-time business decisions is critical in a diamond mining environment as these have a direct impact on costs and workflow. "Workflow is a key means of adding value to Petra's business processes on site," says Fenner. He uses internal issues workflow to demonstrate this. "Accpac's internal issues workflow will give management the ability to control store issues by authorising these based on value, budget or activity, as well as immediately cost them to the general ledger - again analysed to the right activity, shaft, project, process or area. It will also draw attention to minimum and maximum reorder levels required by the mine - calculating these by weighing consumption, with group levels enabling better decisions and cost tracking."
Accpac ERP for Mining will additionally give Petra Diamonds visibility throughout its production process. In this way the organisation will be able to set up either the area or operation that costs need to be tracked against.
"Petra will now be able to track the processing of material from all areas - driving the plant on a completely different level," says Fenner.
Breytenbach says Petra Diamonds' choice of Accpac ERP for Mining was thus an easy one. He describes the experience of working with Softline ACCPAC and Synergy Accounting as highly professional. "Both companies are extremely knowledgeable in the specifics of our industry. We look forward to a controlled deployment of the core functionality with asset management, workflow management and business intelligence all integrated, assisting us to make better decisions well into the future."
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