Company aims to grow African footprint

Southern and North Africa hold immense potential for software company CCS Mining and Industrial (CCSMI) to expand its client base, and the company will use the Investing in African Mining Indaba as a platform to target companies in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, says CCSMI MD Joe de Klerk.

CCSMI has established itself as a provider of construction, mining and engineering software in more than 50 countries in conjunction with its holding company Construction Computer Software and provides Candy and BuildSmart software solutions to more than 20 000 Construction Computer Software users globally.

Candy is a project control solution for the estimation, management and planning of projects, from estimation to tender award and, ultimately, final account. BuildSmart is a fully integrated, Web-based enterprise management system comprising integrated procurement, accounting and payroll modules that cater for the specific needs of mining companies.

“We want to grow our footprint in the African mining space and we will use the Indaba to connect with engineering, procurement and construction management companies, medium-sized and large contract miners, subcontractors and junior miners,” he tells Mining Weekly.

The Indaba will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 4 to 7. De Klerk mentions that the company has not attended the Indaba for a few years, but wants to attend this year, as “we believe that the industry is slowly improving and we are optimistic about the future”. CCSMI is looking forward to talks on the status of the mining industry in Africa, as this will assist in potentially guiding the company on where it should focus its growth efforts, he adds.

De Klerk highlights that CCSMI can assist clients in their decision-making processes, keeping tendering, procurement and several project variables under tight control, subsequently allowing for better decisions to be made and more useful information to be produced at the right time, to improve margins, minimise risk and deliver on time.

He notes that, in the current global economic climate where projects are sparse, it is important for companies to produce better estimates and have stricter control over their projects, as well as improved monitoring of earned value and cash flows.

“Current conditions present various challenges, but also unique opportunities for our clients to streamline their business processes and controls. Companies should take the opportunity presented by the slowdown to consolidate and train staff to use the software properly and maximise their investment.”

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