Managing the entire supply chain with Gateway Logistics
 | Press release_Managing the entire supply chain with Gateway Logistics | 30.5 KB | Download |
 Preview | Francois du Toit, Hendrik Visser and Anneri Robinson all form part of the multidisciplinary Gateway Logistics team at Hatch. | 2 MB | Download |
 Preview | Gateway Logistics encompasses the entire supply chain, from the mine to the bulk export terminal. | 1.79 MB | Download |
 Preview | Gateway Logistics includes international sourcing and procurement at best quality and lowest cost. | 3.23 MB | Download |
“Our unique approach is based on an in-depth understanding of all these elements, including their integration and interaction,” Hendrik Visser, Global Technical Coordinator for Bulk Materials Handling at Hatch, comments.
Francois du Toit, Global Discipline Director: Logistics at Hatch, points out that the success of Gateway Logistics is largely dependent on the critical interface between logistics and bulk materials handling. “Managing the interfaces between the different disciplines within the supply chains is where you identify numerous gaps and opportunities. These are generally areas where such supply chains have short comings,” notes du Toit.
A unique way of managing such shortcomings is through Dynamic Simulation, stresses Anneri Robinson, Lead - Dynamic Simulation Group. “Just piggybacking the Dynamic Simulation support to the rest of the highly developed solutions offered by Hatch will help a client to boost its operations. There are a lot of industry experts in modelling, but what differentiates Hatch is that we really understand our clients’ core businesses.”
Key to this understanding is an awareness of the extraordinary pressures that the global mining industry is operating under at present. “Resources are more remote and difficult to access, which often means new infrastructure has to be put in place, from the mine sites themselves to rail links and ports.”
This is where the concept of Gateway Logistics really comes into its own, as it includes international sourcing and procurement of equipment of the best quality and at the lowest cost. “In some case studies we have conducted, it is sometimes better to obtain steel out of South Africa for projects in Africa, as China is no longer necessarily seen as a preferential source in terms of pricing and fabrication rates,”
Then there are other issues to be considered, such as the current focus of ‘sweating’ existing assets. “Whereas in the past you had the luxury of perhaps being a bit conservative in your design approach, today you need to not only understand the constraints better, but to come up with a bespoke solution that is structured around the specific client and application,” Visser elaborates.
Ends
Notes to the editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the Hatch Goba link to view the company’s press office.
About Hatch Goba
Hatch Goba supplies process and business consulting, information technology, engineering, procurement and project and construction management and operational services to the mining, metallurgical, energy and infrastructure industries.
Media Contact
Gerhard Hope
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867-7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 078 824 8723
Email: gerhard [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za (gerhard [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za)
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the NGAGE Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za