Why effective geoscientific information management needs leadership

Change management can be the biggest hurdle when implementing a strategy for effective geoscientific information management (GIM).

To reap the rewards of introducing a strategic GIM solution to your operation, you’ll need support from a senior executive or manager who can be an internal champion for the project.

Without a management champion, software can be implemented and then not used consistently across your business. This fundamentally weakens the advantage of having a single source of truth for your data whether it’s used for geological data in the mining industry or environmental data in any number of natural resources industries.

An effective GIM solution improves how your data is managed which then influences the business processes and practices of different departments, groups and people across the operation. When everyone knows they can rely on data management software, siloes are eliminated and trust in your data rises throughout the organisation.

A GIM solution aims to make geoscientific information everybody’s business – not just the database manager’s. This includes everyone from the mine manager to the environmental superintendent to geologists and compliance officers.

Data management is not only a technology problem

The full value of data and better governance around your data may not be realised if it is viewed solely as a technology problem, or as just another software tool to be managed by your database managers.

Technology is one part of the equation; processes and people throughout the organisation need to adapt to a more streamlined way of doing things. The business must lead the change, with IT acting as the valued partner to help with a successful GIM solution implementation.

The executive sponsor needs to drive the GIM initiative, explaining what it will accomplish and how it aligns with the overall business strategy.

Without strong leadership, some may consider GIM “someone else’s problem” and will expect the database manager, compliance officer, or geologist to just “make it work”. The team may not be well positioned to decide the policies and workflow rules required to increase data quality and reliability across the geoscientific data domains and wider business needs. If GIM is considered just a piece of technology, true process change is unlikely to follow, preventing meaningful results.

Dig deeper: 10 signs you’re managing your geoscientific information well

Making a business case for a GIM strategy

Before launching a GIM strategy, it is crucial that the executive champion understands the change management required and the reasons behind implementing technology to replace what is quite likely manual and/or disparate processes. This will ensure focus is at each level of the organisation to maximise the benefits.

With more and more data being generated across the wider natural resources industries, it’s never been more critical. Business decisions are increasingly data driven, which makes having the appropriate tools and reliable data sources essential for a modern operating environment.

The efficiencies that can be created with geoscientific data management can make a key contribution to a company, the same way the accounting, human resources, payroll, or any similar key business function does. Executive support for a GIM solution paves the way for a GIM contribution to make a sizeable difference in the success of the company.

Listen in: The GIM Channel: Harnessing the power of data

The big picture of data management

All enterprises in the natural resources industry are facing the challenge of reducing costs while improving output. acQuire’s GIM solutions for mining – GIM Suite – and for environmental compliance – EnviroSys – combine people, process and the technology to ensure your business critical data is transformed into a reliable and durable business asset.

If you’d like more information on how to implement a GIM solution in your company, give us a call. acQuire provides the leading geoscientific information management tools to the largest natural resources companies in the world.