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Metals and growth . Cloud-based ERP systems let growing mining firms build on those priorities in a modular , scalable way that can smoothly accommodate future growth and business-line expansion .
Asset intelligence and analytics as differentiators
The lion ’ s share of that $ 5.4 trillion in estimated decadal mining investment will be in assets . Cloud-based , modular core ERP systems make a huge difference in maximizing the value a mining company derives from its asset base . Where exactly are the assets ? What ’ s their availability , utilization , and maintenance status ? What tends to break , and what ’ s the inventory status of replacement parts if it does ?
Analytics are one of the biggest value drivers of centralizing data in cloud-based systems , whether those analytics are rulesbased or AI driven . GenAI ’ s ability to distill data from diverse sources shows great promise in areas such as supply chain risk management . GenAI can take factors like price volatility , comparative costs , local political conditions , geopolitical concerns , transit risks , and natural disaster risks into account and enable fastpaced scenario planning that serves as an early warning system for the business . The outputs help planners balance inventory levels and locations with the risks of supply chain disruption . Importantly , GenAI systems let business managers run scenarios based on natural-language queries , so they don ’ t have to wait for data scientists to set up and run custom queries .
Satisfying stricter regulatory requirements
Supply chain traceability is another emerging mining business requirement . Regulators around the world , but particularly in Europe , are demanding emissions accountability down the supply chain . Mining firms selling to directly or indirectly to battery manufacturers ,
auto companies , and others must have systems in place to track and account for the carbon emissions and critical minerals associated with their products and operations , as well as with their own supply chains . With mining , the required reporting extends to other environmental and labor elements . It ’ s hard to report or act on what you ’ re not tracking and given the geographic and product-level diversification afoot in mining , ERP systems will be increasingly vital in accurately following it all .
The list of benefits from an AI and analytics friendly , cloud-based clean core is long and growing . Workforce-related intelligence and automated procurement that lets buyers focus on more complex purchasing are just further two examples . But you get the larger point : whether you ’ re a global giant or a niche player with ambitious plans , getting your IT systems right will play a decisive role in a mining company ’ s success in this highgrowth , radically evolving market . ■
For a list of sources used in this article , please contact the editor .
Stefan
Weisenberger | Vimal Gaba www . sap . com
Stefan Weisenberger has worked at SAP for over 20 years , and currently occupies the role of Global Vice President for Process Industries and Natural Resources . With more than 25 years of experience in IT and metals manufacturing , Vimal Gaba is SAP ’ s Global Head for the Mining & Metals Industry Business Unit ( IBU ).
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