< Previous20 Follow us on Facebook for current mining news. THE MINING INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES greatly to Canada’s economic strength, but research from the Mining Association of Canada about planned major mining project investment between 2018 to 2028 shows a 55 per cent value decrease is now threatening the country’s dominant global position. To retain its global dominance, the Canadian mining industry must embrace new digital technologies and can even benefit from the global focus on a lower carbon future. The Canadian think tank Clean Energy Canada points out the country is home to 14 of the 19 metals and minerals required for the manufacturing of solar PV panels and suggests Canada is well-placed to benefit from rising global demand as a key supplier of resources for the buildout of solar power. But transforming to exploit these areas of growth should not stop in the field. The adoption of new projects and technologies requires a deeper look into the enterprise software infrastructure and the streamlining of complex systems. Ensuring effective asset management, timely and reliable business data, and standardized processes across entire organizations are vital components of mining organizations’ success. Technology barriers to innovation There is huge potential for software to bring mining into the digital sphere, but the industry is held back by a history of fragmented software systems. This is the single biggest barrier to enabling Canadian mining organizations to reap the productivity benefits of new technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), drones, and wearables. Fragmented software application landscapes are common in the mining sector and inhibit much-needed business transformation. We often see enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions with a variable mix of enterprise asset management (EAM), project management, and workforce planning and scheduling optimization systems. On top of that, we have scores of Excel spreadsheets to add to the complexity. Why has this happened? It is because mining is a highly asset-intensive business. While ERP systems are generally used to support a company’s production, financials, sales, and HR, they often lack world-class EAM, project management, or planning and scheduling capabilities. By Katherine James, IFS Digital Roadblocks are Obstructing the Mining Sector FEATUREwww.canadianminingmagazine.com 21 As a result, organizations are often forced to choose between replacing an expensive and heavily customized ERP system or buying additional “best-of-breed” EAM, project management, or other applications. While not ideal, the latter is the easier path. Adding to the complexity is that there are many Canadian mining organizations that acquire new companies and operating divisions, and each of these new arrivals may bring their own ERP or EAM system. Financial reporting is the first to go One of the primary victims of systems fragmentation is financial reporting. It is almost impossible to rely on information from multiple disconnected data sources. The manual data consolidation required is a strain on resources and prone to error. Finance teams may struggle to meet reporting deadlines when dealing with complex corporate structures. It can quickly become an all-consuming effort to produce financial results that are accurate, up-to-date, and on time. But reporting is just a canary in a coal mine warning of more widespread dangers. When financial reporting is not executed properly, there are even worse consequences, for example, the inability to move beyond financial compliance to achieve a more sophisticated level of financial and operational management, such as making better use of capital and improving investor returns. This would require real-time visibility of all relevant information, something that isn’t possible in fragmented and disconnected business systems. Comprehensive enterprise software must include integrated functionality to manage all cost drivers, equipment, and labour. Spreadsheets simply will not do. Without a single platform supporting all of a company’s business units and operations, the standardization of processes across the organization cannot be achieved, severely limiting the ability to improve quality and maximize efficiency. New disruptive tech needs a connected system Without a doubt, the future of mining is digital. The World Economic Forum and Accenture estimate digitization could bring more than US$425 – roughly C$618 – billion of value for the mining industry, customers, society, and environment by 2025. A recent example of digital technologies fostering safe and sustainable mining practices is Newmont Goldcorp’s Borden project, dubbed Ontario’s “mine of the future.” The country’s first all-electric underground mine uses digital mining technologies, electric-powered vehicles, and modern health and safety controls to protect workers and the environment alike. This is just part of what’s to come. As we enter the new decade, there will be huge benefits to be gained by quickly adopting innovative and disruptive technologies that are becoming common in the workplace, such as automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), wearables, and so on. However, all these new technologies generate data that must be collected, integrated, analyzed, and acted upon if these promised benefits are to be achieved. Mining organizations that become more agile and future-facing will be well-placed to capitalize on the new technologies that will transform the sector for decades to come. But for companies that have not consolidated their existing data sources, new technologies may lead to further systems fragmentation, compounding current challenges. A single source of truth Often the solution to a fragmented set of systems is to integrate an overarching ERP 22 Follow us on Facebook for current mining news. system with other enterprise applications. While this makes sense in theory, in reality the more numerous and extensive integrations required the more complex and unmanageable they become. The heavy amount of coding needed for an integration means new systems are expensive and slow to update, again causing issues when the business needs to quickly adapt to new technologies or introduce new processes. On the IFS blog in a post dissecting this issue in relation to ERP and EAM, Ted Rohm, Senior ERP Analyst at Technology Evaluation Centers (TEC), writes, “The ideal system for an asset-intensive organization is an ERP system with extensive EAM capabilities: a system built from the ground up to manage not only basic business functions but also assets and their maintenance.” This is where choosing an ERP system with extensive EAM capabilities is critical. With mining companies often requiring EAM, project management, and workforce planning and scheduling capabilities, why not have those as part of an existing ERP deployment and adopt these capabilities as and when required? ERP can control business operations, while the EAM system takes care primarily of the monitoring and operations of the asset. EAM and ERP are prerequisites to drive optimal business performance – it isn’t an either-or choice. Future-proofing for the decade ahead The Canadian mining industry is not immune to global economic volatility, market forces, and technological innovation. Going forward, mine operators will need to look to digital technologies more than ever to ensure profitability and to future-proof their operations. Combining ERP and EAM capabilities in their enterprise software systems will be instrumental in this. An extensive ERP solution simplifies a mining organization’s applications landscape, giving them a single source of truth. Organizations seeking to transform their business by standardizing processes and leveraging reliable, real-time data will benefit from an ERP system with all of these capabilities, setting them up to adopt automation, IoT, AI, or whatever other new technologies come next. Only once a mining company defragments its complex network of solutions will it be able to reap the benefits of new technology and processes to drive transformative change and keep them competitive and productive in their industry. M KATHERINE JAMES IS VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES IN NORTH AMERICA FOR IFS. SHE HAS OVER 20 YEARS OF SALES LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE IN THE ENTERPRISE SOFTWARE INDUSTRY AND A PROVEN TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS IN ORGANIC AND ACQUISITION-BASED GROWTH STRATEGIES RESULTING IN SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIPS WITH SHAREHOLDERS, STAKEHOLDERS, CUSTOMERS, PARTNERS, AND COLLEAGUES. PRIOR TO JOINING IFS, SHE HAS HELD EXECUTIVE POSITIONS WITH CORE SECURITY, APTEAN, AND INFOR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS. SHE HOLDS AN MBA AND B.SC. IN ARCHITECTURE FROM GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY. Mining organizations that become more agile and future-facing will be well-placed to capitalize on the new technologies that will transform the sector for decades to come.www.canadianminingmagazine.com 23 Did you know that Canadian Mining Magazine can help you connect with Canada’s mining industry in MANY different ways? • Yes, print advertising. Of course! • How about sharing your expertise on industry topics in a Blog that hyperlinks back to your website, team experts, and products? • Or maybe an advertisement in one of our E-blasts? This will put your company name in front of our highly-targeted e-mail list. If you want to learn more, reach out! 866-999-1299 sales@matrixgroupinc.net Now That We Have Your Attention! *No turtles were harmed in the making of this promo piece. Use your QR scanner to go directly to our website. Scan Me24 Follow us on Facebook for current mining news.www.canadianminingmagazine.com 25 SASKATCHEWAN’S MINERALS INDUSTRY EMPLOYS a wide range of occupations and is one of the province’s leading employers of highly skilled and educationally advanced workers. The requirements for an increasingly educated workforce are projected to further rise as it moves forward with its digital transformation. Robotics and automation will require greater skills in data and digital technologies and the greater use of virtual simulations and real-time analytics will redesign or enhance almost all occupations. This will create opportunities for data scientists and others with such skills and may well create “new miners.” To prepare for this digital future and the new opportunities it is opening, the minerals industry knows it needs to attract new workers and support those young people who want to make mining their career choice. International Minerals Innovation Institute’s (IMII) minerals member companies – BHP, Cameco, K+S Potash Canada, Mosaic and Nutrien – have committed to having a workforce that is representative of the communities in which they operate. To this end, they are seeking new strategies to attract more women and Indigenous people into their workforces. IMII made a $1 million commitment in 2017 to a Diversity & Inclusion Challenge program to advance seven pilot and demonstration projects and increase the numbers of women and Indigenous people in Saskatchewan’s minerals industry. In 2019, it made a further $1 million commitment through scholarship and internship programs over five years to provide new opportunities for women, Indigenous, and other students to succeed in post-secondary education and become the highly qualified people the industry requires. The five‐year initiative commits over $500,000 to establish two scholarship programs: • iMpowered – College, polytechnic, and university women and Indigenous students with financial responsibilities for the family, enrolled in a science, technology, engineering, mathematics or computer science program and interested in a career in the minerals industry. Two scholarships will be given out each year, and each student will be awarded $25,000, which may be used to cover any costs associated with their efforts to attain a higher education, such as childcare, tuition, books, and transportation. • The Mining Futures Award – Undergraduate students currently enrolled in one of three Mining Engineering Options at the University of Saskatchewan. One student receiving this award will collect $12,000, covering most of the costs for tuition, books, instruments, and fees. iMpowered October 10, 2019 marked the inaugural awarding of the iMpowered scholarship to the first two recipients, Corine Strube and Mulaina Boissoneau. Corine Strube, a Métis woman breaking into the science world, is enrolled in the Chemical Technology Program in the School of Mines, Energy and Manufacturing at Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Saskatoon campus. A career in science and mining will change the future for her and her daughter. “The impact the scholarship has had on my life has been amazing,” says Corine. “The lack of financial stress allows me to focus on my studies and makes things so much easier – not worrying about small things like car repairs and utilities. But even more so than having all the basics covered, this scholarship has given me back the opportunity to enjoy life with my daughter. We have been able to do small things together like go to the waterslides and not miss out on everything, allowing me to be a good Mom as well as a student and spend more quality time with my young daughter while she is small.” As a technologist, she looks forward to being on the ground floor doing quality control and quality assurance for our mining companies to provide the world with our high-quality resources. Corine’s past interests have always been in sustainability. She says, “I love the idea of extracting quality resources in clean sustainable ways. Quality control and quality assurance interests me. I also am very interested in the safety aspect of industry.” From an early age, Mulaina Boissoneau has been working odd jobs to help with the financial contribution to her family. A young Indigenous woman, she is enrolled in Chemical Engineering By Marylou Langridge, International Minerals Innovation Institute (IMII) the Mining Futures Workforce FEATURE26 Follow us on Facebook for current mining news. at the University of Saskatchewan and wants to be a part of the betterment of the mining industry, not just in Saskatchewan, but on a global level. She looks to defy the stereotype by excelling at what she sets out to do. “I’ve been given the opportunity of a lifetime by being able to solely focus on my studies,” Mulaina says. “To have the monetary stress removed has not only affected me in a positive way but my family as well. Relationships and conversations have improved as fear and worry about money have been removed. For someone financially struggling, it’s not just about the money but also your mental health, your relationships, and your attitude. It’s a ripple effect that spreads to those around you. This scholarship hasn’t just helped me but every person I come into contact with.” Mulaina hopes to pursue a career in the mining industry as a chemical engineer. “Some job duties that interest me are implementing safety procedures for employees. This interests me because I don’t want people getting hurt by something that can be prevented. I am also interested in solution mining, specifically in the design and the development of chemical processes and equipment. In my career, I want the best possible outcome for the company I am working for and I will work hard with my knowledge to make sure employees and the environment are safe, and that procedures of extraction are done in the best way possible.” Mining Futures Award Makayla Scheller, a third-year geological engineering student at the University of Saskatchewan enrolled in the mining option program, is the first recipient of the Mining Futures Award. Makayla is honing her organizational and leadership skills through the Geological Engineering Student Society, attending CIM Saskatoon Branch dinners, and taking on the Corine Strube (left) and Mulaina Boissoneau (right) were the first- ever recipients of IMII’s iMpowered scholarship. To prepare for this digital future and the new opportunities it is opening, the minerals industry knows it needs to attract new workers and support those young people who want to make mining their career choice. Be cool and find our page @CanadianMiningMagazine Don’t be this guy. This guy isn’t in the know about all things mining-related in Canada and around the world. This guy isn’t getting daily updates on the mining news that matters. This guy doesn’t follow Canadian Mining Magazine on Facebook. (And if you are this guy, we apologize for using this stock image of you to illustrate our point).www.canadianminingmagazine.com 27 role of VP External Communications for the CIM Saskatoon Student Chapter. Participating in these activities have increased her knowledge on the different aspects of the mining industry and she has been able to practice networking with members of the industry. “This award will have a large impact on my education because it removes the stress of the costs associated with going to university,” Makayla says. “Receiving the IMII Mining Futures scholarship is a wonderful reward for the hard work I put forward in my academics, and it is a reminder to continue to be diligent and always do my best. I am interested in pursuing a career in the mining industry because I like hands-on work. As I enjoy the outdoors, I would like to get a job in a northern, remote mine. This summer, I enjoyed the opportunity to work in Northern Saskatchewan for the Saskatchewan Geological Survey (SGS).” “The IMII started these scholarship programs to give students the financial support they need to pursue a post‐secondary education that will carry them into a career in Saskatchewan’s minerals industry,” says Al Shpyth, IMII’s Executive Director. “As the industry transitions into its digital future, it will need greater access to a more diverse skill and mind set which may be achieved by attracting more women and Indigenous students into relevant academic programs.” Applications for the 2020 iMpowered scholarship will open on May 1, 2020. You can find the application and more about the scholarship at www.imii.ca/scholarships/ impowered. M MARYLOU LANGRIDGE IS IMII’S FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONS COORDINATOR. MARYLOU HAS WORKED WITH IMII FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, PLAYING A KEY ROLE IN THEIR OPERATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS AND FINANCES. IMII IS A NON- PROFIT ORGANIZATION JOINTLY FUNDED BY INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT AND IS COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE EDUCATION, TRAINING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUPPORTING A WORLD-CLASS MINERALS INDUSTRY.28 Follow us on Facebook for current mining news. THE ASSOCIATION FOR MINERAL Exploration British Columbia (AME) was established in 1912 and plays an important role by representing, advocating, and promoting the interests of almost 5,000 members engaged in mineral exploration and development. AME undertakes industry-leading work related to land use, permitting, health and safety, environment and sustainability, Indigenous relations, and social responsibility. Also, every January AME hosts the annual Roundup conference in Vancouver; there were 6,190 attendees this year. British Columbia was well represented with presentations on many of the exploration projects that are advancing across the province, the high-quality service and supply companies that call the province home, and the fantastic people, from geologists to cooks to political leaders, who work to advance mineral exploration in British Columbia every day. Economic impact and job creation Since my appointment as President and CEO in June 2019, I have been working with the Board of Directors, dedicated volunteers, and staff to represent and advance the industry in British Columbia and internationally. British Columbia is a centre of excellence and a world leader in mineral exploration. The province’s economic impact from a mineral exploration perspective is quite significant – not only to the province but also nationally. Vancouver alone is home to 801 mineral exploration and mining companies. This year at the PDAC convention, the fourth annual report on exploration in British Columbia was released. It was written with collaboration from EY, AME and the B.C. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. This report showed that in 2019, exploration spend across the province totaled $329 million, almost unchanged from the previous year of $330 million, but still an increase of 34 per cent from 2017. We also saw a significant increase in spending in the northwest region, with over $180 million spent on exploration in this region alone. Exploration remains integral to the growth of British Columbia’s economy, and a typical mineral exploration project has a small footprint but broad-ranging economic and social benefits. Based on data provided by respondents, 3,960 jobs were created in British Columbia through exploration activity in 2019. Seasonal contractors contributed to more than 40 per cent of this total, with 560 contract, seasonal, and permanent positions created for First Nations people compared to 355 in 2018, a 58 per cent increase. Exploration projects starting up in remote areas bring with them an uptick in economic and employment activity that may have By Kendra Johnston, Association for Mineral Exploration Exploration in BC: Leading through Change FEATUREwww.canadianminingmagazine.com 29 otherwise been on the decline due to a fading forestry sector or geographical or logistical challenges. Altogether, over the past 15 years, $4.9 billion has been spent on mineral exploration in British Columbia, and new discoveries have brought mines such as Brucejack, New Afton, Mount Milligan, Red Chris, and Copper Mountain into production. On average, 97 per cent of this exploration spending remains in the province, and the beneficiaries are overwhelmingly B.C. companies, workers, and the many suppliers who support mineral exploration industry activity in the province. Looking forward to 2020 As we know, the mineral exploration and mining industry is very cyclical, but, reflecting upon the prospects for our industry in 2020, January was a positive month for commodity prices, junior stocks, and TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) listed companies. Although the number of companies listed on TSX and TSXV has declined to 1,138 today from 1,673 issuers in 2012, this may be a sign of increased merger and acquisition activity or that investors are looking for higher quality projects and companies to invest in. Last year, we started to see some positive signs, including more financings (large and small), some mergers and takeovers, and some new property acquisitions. We also saw some new discoveries in British Columbia that got the market talking. All of these indicate we might be in the early stages of a positive cycle for 2020. There was particularly good news comparing January 2020 with January 2019 in The MiG Report (www.tsx.com/resource/ en/2200), with equity capital raised up 66.6 per cent year-to-date among TSXV listed companies as of January 31. Five out of 10 top financings on TSXV were from mining This being said, COVID-19 has hit the mineral exploration and mining industry particularly hard in our province and globally and there is a lot of uncertainty right now. AME will continue to work with industry to ensure that all our members are well-informed and supported during and after the crisis. Our goal is always to promote and advocate for the interests of mineral explorers and developers, no matter the challenges being faced. Advancing reconciliation For decades, mineral exploration and mining companies have been leaders in engaging with local Indigenous communities and are now at the forefront of reconciliation. Indigenous groups who are more heavily impacted by mineral exploration due to their location and the mineral wealth within their territories have seen significant advancements in reconciliation, building partnerships and understanding between their communities and mineral explorers. It has become commonplace for exploration companies to talk with local Indigenous groups and the community about For decades, mineral exploration and mining companies have been leaders in engaging with local Indigenous communities and are now at the forefront of reconciliation.Next >