Bowen Basin Mining Club director Jodie Currie says it’s just good business sense to enter awards.
As the 2016 Queensland Mining Contractor Awards approach, there are several questions that I am often asked. In no particular order, these usually are:
What are the awards?
What will an award do for my business?
How can I enter?
To put it simply, the awards are an independent, industry driven and and industry judged event, held in conjunction with QME in July, 2016.
But let’s address the most important question: what will entering, and perhaps winning, an award do for my business?
Crafting a high-calibre submission will take time and effort, but for the myriad of reasons why you may be too busy, too small or even too quiet to put in the required time and effort, here are at least three reasons to put an entry in.
REFLECTING ON YOUR SUCCESSES
It is not difficult to buy into doom and gloom about our sector, although I maintain that there are peaks and troughs in every industry, and the trends that affect us are not unusual.
The process of collating an award submission will allow a period of reflection on the past eighteen months, recognising your successes and giving them the appreciation that they deserve. Certain projects may even be more successful than previously thought, once examined through the lens of award criteria.
For example, competitive pricing is arguably more important in the Bowen Basin now more than ever. Winning a 2014 Queensland Mining Contractor Award for cost-saving measures has certainly been a feather in Ausenco Rylson’s cap.
Awarded for their cost and reliability optimisation project at Century Mine, Ausenco Rylson were able to realise an expense reduction of 17 per cent for their client.
“When we received the feedback comments from the judges, it was evident they recognised that our submission demonstrated the ‘outside the square’, client-focused thinking they were looking for.” – Nick Tompkins, Ausenco Rylson Technical Manager.
PROMOTING YOUR CAPABILITIES
An award is a simple way of demonstrating business capability, without necessarily having to blow one’s own trumpet. Our independent judging panel ensures that if you can call yourself a Queensland Mining Contractor Awards finalist, you are certainly deserving of that title.
Award nominations (even if you are not the eventual winner) are invaluable ammunition for tenders, proposals and bids. As the awards enter their second round, they carry increasing weight as a measure of your business’ capability.
Finalists for the 2014 awards ranged from small enterprises to multinational corporations, with judgment based on the merits of their projects and how they contributed to faster, safer, smarter or more efficient outcomes.
BMD Constructions were the winners of the 2014 Time Saving category for their Hay Point Stage Three Expansion civil and concreting work.
“Recognition in the mining sector for excellence in construction has certainly benefited our business. We would definitely consider entering the a wards again, however our project would have to be of the highest quality to compete against the number of outstanding projects coming out of the Bowen Basin.” – James Smith, BMD Construction Senior Project Manager.
GAINING INDUSTRY RECOGNITION
The contractors and suppliers of the Bowen Basin may not feel the confidence to enter the national-level awards that are on offer, and other opportunities to be recognised for quality outcomes and innovative processes are few and far between.
The fact that the Queensland Mining Contractor Awards are held in conjunction with QME only increases their impact in terms of industry recognition. The state’s best and brightest mining minds will all be in close proximity to the awards – can you imagine the networking opportunities at QME 2016 with an award in your hand?
The 2014 Mining Contractor of the Year, Central Queensland’s SMW Group, has seen a steady growth in both their business and their reputation following on from their win, and according to them, the recognition is well worth the effort.
“Not only did winning an award help immeasurably with creating awareness about who SMW Group are, it helped the mining industry to recognise that we were able to deliver projects efficiently with out-of-the-box solutions to common problem.” – Jack Trenaman, SMW Group Director.
For a complete fleet of 797 tray rebuilds, SMW Group cut both costs and project time with an efficiency focus, using an innovative combination of invention and process standardisation to achieve an impressive 25 per cent saving, plus increased safety outcomes.
“Our award helped to showcase our expertise to the broader market, as well as to bring awareness to the facilities and capabilities on offer in the lower Bowen Basin.” – SMW Group Director Frank Humphreys.
At the end of the day, the Bowen Basin sustains an industry that has weathered downturns, boom times and adversity. I truly believe that from those circumstances there are many stories of innovation and excellence that have yet to be told.
Let the 2016 Queensland Mining Contractor Awards be the platform to tell your story.
Entries open from January 11, and will be accepted in a number of categories, including Cost Saving, Time Saving, Innovation, Community and Staff Engagement, Equal Opportunity, and Product Launch. Projects undertaken between April, 2014, and December, 2015, will be eligible for inclusion, and one outstanding project across all categories will be chosen by the judges to receive the Mining Contractor of the Year award.
For more information about the awards and to download an entry pack, visit www.bbminingclub.com/awards.
PROFILE
JODIE CURRIE
DIRECTOR
Bowen Basin Mining Club
Jodie Currie is the director of the Bowen Basin Mining Club operating bi-monthly functions for the mining industry in Mackay, Moranbah and Emerald. The BBMC’s mission is to connect all levels of operation, supply and service delivery within the sector to create better outcomes through the provision of up to date information on projects and quality networking.
For more information regarding the Bowen Basin Mining Club and upcoming speakers and events, visit bbminingclub.com.au.
“It is not difficult to buy into doom and gloom about our sector, although I maintain that there are peaks and troughs in every industry, and the trends that affect us are not unusual.”
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