Structuring a storage methodology for current and future information: minimum requirements for the tender process at Sandvik Mining and Construction RSA

Abstract

Sandvik Mining and Construction RSA believes that by building strong partnerships between mining companies and themselves successful mechanisation of mining operations can best be achieved. In order for Sandvik to receive a new contract, a tender/proposal for the project needs to be done and submitted to the clients to be accepted and approved. The higher the standard, quality and accuracy and the more timeous the submission of the tender/proposal, the more likely Sandvik‟s chance will be of the tender being accepted over other companies. In order to assist account managers and the ESS (Equipment sales support) team to achieve this in terms of creating a tender document, a structured storage methodology for storage of current and future information pertaining to COP‟s-Code of Practices, from the mines, and tenders/proposal will be developed. This includes all the information that was used in past tenders and that which could be used for future tenders. All the information will be stored in a central place accessible to all the applicable users. This also reduces the risk of documentation being lost by Sandvik if an individual/employee leaves Sandvik for another company A set of documents that stipulate the minimum requirements (according to standards, legislation and customer requirements to be included in a tender) was compiled. This was achieved by the consolidation of the COPs of the different mines in conjunction with the applicable legal requirements and standards. These documents should be used during the compilation of a tender as well as the approval thereof before it is sent to the customer. In conjunction, a method has been defined for regular updating of the information and the usage of the information storage facility when new tenders are given to account managers to work on. Applicable Industrial Engineering methods were used to analyse the processes currently used for information storage. Methods were also used to assess the available alternatives in order to construct an effective and efficient storage, updating and retrieval method.