The GIM Channel 02: Bill Withers on creating a resilient GIM technology company
In this episode of The GIM Channel, we are joined by acQuire’s co-founder, Bill Withers. Bill gives insights into the history of acQuire and challenges facing geoscientific information management from 1996 to today.
He discusses his views on how important GIM is across the mining value chain, and the roles architecture, mine design and leadership play on creating further innovations in the natural resources industry.
In an industry where buyouts, mergers and flash-in-the-pan business ideas are common, acQuire has grown into a sustainable, values-based business that has weathered economic ups and downs and industry fluctuations across two full decades.
Bill Withers handed over the role of Managing Director in 2014 as part of the natural succession planning in place for every role in the company. He remains involved as Chairman of Metech Holdings, the parent company of acQuire and ADAPT by Design. In 2015, Bill was awarded Austmine’s “Champion of Innovation” award for the GIM Suite, a recognition by the industry of the contribution he’s made to the mining industry.
Bill is now Managing Director of Adapt by Design.
Show Notes
Here are some key take-outs:
“If the mining industry ran the banking industry, you would put your card in the ATM, ask for $500 and it would either give you $5 or $500,000…and say near enough. We didn’t fully understand the importance of the original observations and measurements to all financial and safety decisions being made.” — Bill
- In the 90s natural resources companies didn’t understand the value in their original observations and measurements
- The mining industry has evolved significantly to understand the value of geoscientific data, however the expenditure on managing the data that leads to the delivery of revenue, doesn’t reflect the importance of it.
- In an industry affected by boom-bust cycles, we need to be really smart about how we hire people and retain people to ensure companies don’t lose their knowledge.
- Business leaders need to be able to define abstract things, like mineral resources, as clearly as possible using the right technology and systems.
- Mine design and organisational architecture should be challenged to continue to foster innovation in the industry.
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Recently The GIM Channel interviewed Paul Murtagh about how innovations in data management have created improvements, cost efficiencies and better workflows in resources operations. Listen here >
Find out more about acQuire’s 20th year of business >
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