Mining companies operate from a head office and multiple remote mining sites creating disparate IT systems, distributed data storage, unmanaged solutions, creating fragmented and disconnected data sets, leading to loss of efficiency explains Hemant Harie at Gabsten Technologies and Iniel Dreyer at Data Management Professionals South Africa.

The mining sector has not escaped the move toward digitalisation, but the nature of the industry means that it faces multiple challenges when it comes to managing, protecting and storing data. One of the central factors for these challenges is the decentralised nature of mining operations, as well as the tendency towards frequent mergers and acquisitions. A lack of consolidated data and centralised data management leaves data vulnerable.

Aside from causing mines to fall foul of the many regulations and compliance requirements, there is also the safety element. Mining organisations need to centralise their data and data management and adopt a holistic strategy as well as an appropriate data management solution to prevent unnecessary loss of life and unlock the power of their data for competitive advantage. Click here to read full-text article