The right tool for the job improving export sales

Abstract

The paper is a result of personal experiences on the commissioning, start up and subsequent development to satisfactory operation of the biggest gold mine in Zimbabwe, producing over £20 million of gold per year, as well as some silver and copper. Prior to being the engineer on this mine my experience had been gained working in the UK. This experience was fairly broad by UK standards, but different to the experience gained in Africa. Many of the probelms which have developed druing the early satge of a mine's operation resulted because people with a background similar to mine, before I came to Africa, were designing equipment for operation in places such as I now work. The differences between the two environments are such that the lack of appreciation of the operating environment by the design organisation can result in the sale to the environment of equipment not suitable to it. The aim of the paper is to give some insight into the problems which can develop, the reasons for some of them and the solution from, principally, the suppliers' point of view to produce a satisfied customer and hence further sales. The main areas considered are the use of historical information by the supplier to improve his plant. The problems of obtaining spare parts, the use of historical information by the supplier to improve his plant. The problems of obtaining spare parts, the use of equipment that local expertise can cope with and the sale of equipment that is unsuitable for the technological infrastructure that it will have to exist in. Consideration of these topics results in the conclusion that it is principally an engineering function to ensure that the problems are overcome, that the customer is satisfied that he has what he wants and that the supplier continues to hold or increase his market share.