Mobilising and deploying a new remote worksite can present a unique set of challenges for mine site operators. Between arranging staff logistics, travel, equipment, suppliers, construction, and a myriad of other pressing requirements, there’s plenty of room for unseen issues to slip through the cracks – especially in areas of mining catering and facilities management, which may not always be the site operator’s area of expertise.
Testing the waters
Before leaping into the process of planning a mobilisation and deployment headlong, it would benefit the future site operator greatly down the track to ensure that all parties are on the same page in regards to the wants, needs, and realistic capabilities of the proposed mining catering and facilities management solution.
The best and simplest way to ensure everyone understands what’s required is to engage in extensive exploratory chats with your provider’s Business Development (BD) and Operation teams around all areas of their abilities and willingness to deliver a solution that meets your requirements in regards to onboarding and mobilisation of your existing or impending operations.
Cater Care’s solution for providing the best outcome for our clients involves our Client Development Managers working closely with our Operational team members to determine best practices and outcomes for each individual client, ensuring that when we do mobilise a site, it’s to deliver a tangible improvement rather than to maintain the status quo.
Opening the channels
Transparency and clear communication are the two central pillars that determine whether or not the next steps of your mobilisation process proceed smoothly. As your site operator and the service provider you plan to proceed with begin to draw up the details of the contract, it’s important to ensure that you are both on the same page for your requirements.
As part of the contract process, there should be extensive and thorough meetings on all sides of the contract – your Operations team as the project management, the catering and facilities provider’s Operations team, and any and all subcontractors or suppliers that may be playing a significant role in the facility’s mobilisation. Clear and open communication during this phase of the process is absolutely vital to ensuring that there are no contract blindspots or shortcomings that could cost your operation time and money later on.
If your site is operating a tender process, carefully review all submitted documents to make sure they conform with your vision for the site. The tender documents will ultimately be one of the key indicators for the degree of flexibility the service provider will realistically be able to offer you throughout the life of the contract, and whether submitted as conforming or non-conforming tenders, it’s vital to ensure that they offer a scope of work and ability to improvise and work around set plans that you are comfortable with.
Setting sail
The first true test of your chosen service provider is the process of the mobilisation itself. A successful deployment requires BD, Operations, and your own site management teams to work smoothly as a cohesive whole. Ideally, your mine site catering company’s BD team should continue to feed you updates on the Operation team’s progress during the mobilisation – additionally, you may wish to have your own staff monitoring site preparation progress to ensure your goals continue to align.
A truly well coordinated approach will include your provider’s Operations and BD teams having the full backing of their national support infrastructure to prevent any hiccups becoming major issues. A strong network of nationwide support teams suggests a greater degree of available assistance in the event anything should go awry at your site, and promises a greater degree of flexibility to ensure operations continue smoothly.
A flexible facilities management and mining catering services provider shouldn’t simply be a reliable and open partner throughout the beginning of the mobilisation process; they should be clear, open, and transparent throughout the entire life of the contract. Your provider’s BD team should always be easily reachable in the event of any issue, and their Operations team should continue to provide ongoing support to the site in the form of facility refreshes, menu updates, and resident engagement programs to keep your residents content.
When you partner with Cater Care, the end of your mobilisation is only the beginning of our partnership. By taking the concerns around arranging menu design, facilities, and worker accommodation planning all out of your hands you free up more time and resources to focus on doing what you do best, and the range of tailored and unique services we can offer can go a long way towards making your mobilisation process a seamless experience.
One of the things that truly sets Cater Care apart from the rest of the industry is our dedication to providing services and an experience wholly tailored to the unique needs of your facility. As part of this, we work hard to provide a seamless activation and mobilisation journey that begins right from the moment the tender is awarded.
For Western Australia:
Brad Walther
Client Development Manager
bradley.walther@catercare.com.au
T. 08 9241 2824 M. 0488 745 357
For all other regions:
Hayley Steyn
Senior Client Development Manager
hayley.steyn@catercare.com.au
T. 07 3851 8425 M 0429 542 682
