First Mining Zambia Sept/Oct edition | Page 15

BME Managing Director Joe Keenan
BME has managed to keep clients blasting during this time with sufficient stocks , continued deliveries and dedicated personnel on sites .
“ This has been done on-site where possible , as well as on-line when necessary ,” said Klaasen . “ During the Covid-19 lockdown , this on-line assistance has made a valuable contribution to keeping mine operations up and running .”
Customers are able to send their blast-related data to the BME office in Bamako , Mali , where its technical managers assist mines with the planning of their blasts . “ BLASTMAP allows the blast designs to be conducted anywhere in the world ,” he said .
“ It just requires the relevant information from the customer .”
BME Managing Director Joe Keenan noted that the future will see considerable changes in how suppliers support their mining customers . “ The leveraging of technological innovation to keep mine sites safe and efficient becomes an even more vital imperative for technology providers ,” said Keenan .
With Covid-19 restricting access to mines by senior BME management , contact with customers has been maintained by regular cellular and internet communication with various tools such as WhatsApp , Microsoft Teams and Skype . Klaasen expected that business would proceed more or less as usual , provided there was no sudden increase in infections – either in the countries where BME is operating or in countries from which it sources raw materials .
“ It is important that borders remain open for cargo , as closures could impact the supply of stock to sites or to the regions where customers operate ,” he said . “ The three-month stock availability that we ensure for customers allows them to see through any temporary disruptions .”
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