Southern Cross Mining
INTEGRATING SYSTEMS TO SHINE A LIGHT
ON THE MINING INDUSTRY
Teletrac Navman has really been fantastic. The team truly went the extra mile and worked very closely with us to understand our needs and future plans. While many other companies were competing for the business, very few were able to tick all the boxes, and most importantly, deliver on those promises!
CHALLENGE: Removing risk during a time of growth
Southern Cross Group is a privately-owned Australian company employing around 60 staff – a mixture of management, technical experts and trades personnel. Southern Cross offers its products and services Australia-wide, and is growing into international markets including Africa, Europe and South America.
Southern Cross Mining, a subsidiary of Southern Cross Group, manufactures the Pit Master LED Lighting Tower, a powerful extra low voltage LED Lighting Tower for use in mining and industrial conditions. Under testing, the towers have proven to output lighting that compares favourably to existing metal halide units currently used within the construction, mining and industrial sectors.
With a national fleet of Pit Master LED Lighting Towers now in excess of 1,400 units, Southern Cross Mining had a need for up-to-the-minute information on the movement of its equipment and operating times. The organisation also wanted to remove human error from its asset management processes, as management of the lighting tower lifecycles had previously been conducted using multiple Excel databases. This process was heavily reliant on personnel and the internal knowledge that had been accrued over time, which created an element of risk for the business.
SOLUTION: Teletrac Navman asset tracking offers complete lifecycle management
Southern Cross needed a new way to capture the full lifecycle of the Pit Master towers, and ensure the towers were being maintained to the highest standards.
This, coupled with the intention to shift management of the asset fleet to an on-site control room, led to the decision to integrate several existing and in-development software applications into an all-in-one software solution. The system leveraged location and up-time data provided by Teletrac Navman asset tracking devices, producing the controls and monitoring insights Southern Cross needed to capture.
The Capacity Expansion & Technology Integration Project brings together seven core software applications that leverage data from each other to create a bespoke platform that provides a holistic view of equipment movement, maintenance, and productivity, all at the touch of a button. The solution gives managers a comprehensive view of Southern Cross Mining’s Pit Master LED Lighting Towers and vital information such as maintenance scheduling, location, productivity and compliance, while addressing the issues that Southern Cross was encountering with human error and the speed of data-entry for billing.
“We wanted to address challenges out in the field where our team was encountering inefficiencies with paperwork and compliance related matters. None of which could be possible without the valuable data supplied by Teletrac Navman assets,” explains Sheldon Riddick, Group Operations Manager, Southern Cross Group.
“We spent a lot of time scrutinising suppliers on product, after-sales service, cost and features. Most importantly, we needed access to a reliable API that would be flexible and well supported. Teletrac Navman came out on top in all areas, and we have been thrilled with the level of service that has delivered on all of its promises,” says Riddick.
We wanted to circumvent human error and ensure that the full lifecycle of the product is captured and maintained to the highest standards. This led to the decision to incorporate a number of software applications which would leverage Teletrac Navman data and produce the required controls and monitoring data to achieve the goals we were looking at.
Results
System integration and data saves the day
Since implementing the Teletrac Navman data-driven solution, Southern Cross Mining has achieved:
- 100% by-the-minute visibility of its 1,400+ lighting towers
- Improved efficiency and decreased human error in maintenance management
- Greater ability to monitor and maintain entire fleet from Southern Cross control room
“Since we began to deploy the new system, we have seen significant growth and market traction. Our asset list has increased from around 800 lighting towers in service in mid-2019 to 1400 in just a few months. The ability to monitor and maintain our assets efficiently and throughout their lifecycle is massive. By doing so, we create a product that is sustainable and secures our future in the marketplace by creating consumer confidence.”
Riddick hopes to uncover even more benefits from the Teletrac Navman-powered solution as it matures, and Southern Cross is seeing compliance issues disappear and servicing monitoring happen seamlessly.
“In the longer term, we believe that the efficiencies created through these and other initiatives will provide us with the ability to double our capacity and make Pit Master the leading LED Lighting tower brand.”
Southern Cross has been fortunate to have a willing and able staff who were eager to embrace the new technology solution.
“There is a real team spirit within the organisation and our employees were genuinely excited about the progress the company is making,” explains Riddick. “While there was an initial apprehension, most employees realised the benefits of bringing this technology into the daily operations of the business and the system is user friendly, even for less IT savvy employees.”
About Southern Cross Mining
The Southern Cross Group has grown to meet the challenges of the Construction, Energy and Natural Resources sectors through investment in technical innovation and support services that have set new standards in efficiency, cost savings and technical expertise delivered to some of Australia’s largest projects.
As a privately-owned Australian company the Southern Cross Group is owned and operated by a mix of management, technical experts and trades personnel that are leaders in their fields of expertise. The company flexibility, on ground experience and supporting management systems delivers the core underpinning and strength that enables an understanding and appreciation of what is required by the industry to operate effectively.