Alexander Proudfoot would like to congratulate one of its Advisory Board members, Ozires Silva for winning the Personality of the Year Award from the Sales and Marketing Leaders of Brazil Association (ADVB).
International Foundry Forum, Venice, September 2014
Alexander Proudfoot’s Head of Global Supply Chain, Jaymie Forrest was a keynote speaker at the International Foundry Forum’s annual trade summit on the 26-27th September 2014 in Venice, Italy.
The ability to run operations at full capacity, and then sustain them, is a major challenge for the mining industry. Vital tasks, such as crushing and transferring minerals, are suffering because people and equipment are not being utilized properly. The end result is low productivity and the high costs that are associated with it. However, our recent findings show that it in many cases it is possible to increase productivity in mining between 20 - 40%, reduce supply costs between 10 - 15% and cut energy costs by 2 - 10% through effective asset management.
Knowledge transfer a must
In the natural resources industry, companies are faced with the daunting challenge of maintaining current production levels despite an industry-wide shortage of skilled workers. For example, the lack of college graduates specializing in mining operations
Organizations dealing with rapid changes are often plagued with inconsistencies that limit production and produce erratic results. So why not devise a plan to stop wasteful practices and become more productive? Sounds easy enough, however gaining employee acceptance of a new approach can be extremely challenging. Two key elements must be considered for a large-scale project such as this to be a viable option: behaviors and change management.
It seems obvious enough that excellent customer service is something every bank, or any public-facing business for that matter, should strive for. With so many options for customers to choose from, customer service is the "x-factor" that banks need to stand out from the crowd. To the average person, banks all look the same from the outside, but it's what's on the inside that will keep them coming back for more.
Recently, members of the Alexander Proudfoot North American team had the privilege of working with the United Way of Greater Atlanta to assist homeless veterans living in Atlanta. The joint team's objective was to assemble "welcome home" kits for local vets in the process of moving into transitional housing. It was an extremely rewarding experience for everyone involved.
Over the years, many chief executives have voiced their frustration with the process of transforming a vision into reality. One CEO in particular compared it to a high-performance sports car without any gas. By the same token, the "fuel" is often missing from an executive's ability to drive multiple initiatives that move a company forward. The key is overcoming gaps that exist between a company's current state and desired future state.
Through our detailed studies, we have observed that workers spend 1.7 days a week on unproductive activities. See our infographic to learn more.
Most firms operate well below their true capacity.
The big question for most organizations is not whether the people in charge are good leaders, but do they know how to manage? Our observations suggest poor management is a key reason why so many companies are failing to
Understanding why so many change programs fail is an important step in driving successful change.
The evolution in the style of the successful CEO over the past several decades has been dramatic. Today’s style, marked by collaboration and efforts to mold consensus, and alignment, was preceded by a micro-managed, top-down hierarchical and power-driven approach.
Multiple factors are combining to intensify the pressures on chief executives to realize the full potential of their business within shorter and shorter time frames. Faced with this reality, the challenges facing every chief executive are daunting. And yet, in
spite of the rising tide of change at the top, many regularly and consistently execute their strategy with precision and flair to deliver solid results for the company and their stakeholders.
Managing talent is a critical tool in enabling a company to achieve its business goals. Investing in human capital to develop skills, capacity, flexibility and adaptability creates a solid foundation for long term competitive advantage. By managing talent effectively, companies can both speed growth and amplify results. But whilst many organisations have expressed their commitment to developing a sturdy pipeline of talent, many are failing to make this happen in reality and generate the results desired.
A workable solution to alleviate the stresses from the constricted talent pool
by Jon Wylie, COO Global Mining and Metals, Alexander Proudfoot
The shortage of skilled labour is now the second most critical issue affecting the sector. As companies, especially those in the emerging markets look to start new projects or ramp up existing ones, the severely constricted talent pool is increasingly putting projects at risk.
The defining characteristics that separate the best from the rest
With demand stagnating across most of the developed economies and faltering across many of the developing countries, identifying and steadfastly pursuing a path to prosperity is complex and demanding for the one at the helm, the company’s chief executive
