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UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND: NEW TECH ON TOP SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS SPECIAL REPORT TOP BUSINESS APPS IN AUSTRALIA AND ASIA MAY 2016 WWW.BUSINESSREVIEWAUSTRALIA.COM JACK MA AND THE WONDERS OF ALIBABA

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Page 1: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND: NEW TECH ON TOP

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORT

TOP BUSINESS APPS IN AUSTRALIA AND ASIA

MAY 2016WWW.BUSINESSREVIEWAUSTRALIA.COM

JACK MA AND THE WONDERS OF

ALIBABA

Page 2: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Lowering costs. Keeping people safe. Working more efficiently. Managing your assets. Mining is a challenging business, and whether you have one piece of Cat equipment or many more, we’re there to help you manage it.

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WHAT’S YOUR BUSINESS CHALLENGE?

Branches Throughout New Zealand| Phone 0800 93 39 39 | GoughCat.co.nz

Page 3: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

H O W D O YO U M E A S U R E YO U R S U C C E S S A S A L E A D E R ? It’s about more than the C-level titles on your office door—it’s also about where you started, and what you have done to push your team and your business further toward success alongside your own. This month we’re looking at Jack Ma of Alibaba—overcoming adversity and barriers to find success on both his own terms and global standards, Ma perfectly exemplifies a leadership standard. We are also looking at tools from apps to social media that can make your leadership endeavors easier. So read on and consider whether you’re meeting your own standards as a leader and where you’d like to go from here.

“THE QUALITY OF A LEADER IS REFLECTED IN THE STANDARDS THEY SET FOR THEMSELVES.”_ RAY KROC

Sasha Orman Editor

[email protected]

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E D I T O R ’ S C O M M E N T

Page 4: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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FEATURESCONTENTS

TECHNOLOGYSocial media and the Australian business

14

22

LEADERSHIP - THE POWER OF JACK MA AND ALIBABA

6

TOP 10 Essential business apps for Australasia

Page 5: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

22

LEADERSHIP - THE POWER OF JACK MA AND ALIBABA

6

COMPANY PROFILES

5

MINING

30 MACA

CONSTRUCTION

50 Civmec

68 Gateway WA

EDUCATION

82 University of New England

SUPPLY CHAIN

100 Sydney Trains

ENERGY

118 MPower

MANUFACTURING

134 Narellan Pools

30MACA

50Civmec

82University of

New England

100Sydney Trains

Page 6: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Written by: Business Review staff

Alibaba’s founder and leader has worked hard to create value in his company and opportunities for others.

JACK MA AND ALIBABA

THE POWER OF

LEADERSHIP

Page 7: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Alibaba’s founder and leader has worked hard to create value in his company and opportunities for others.

JACK MA AND ALIBABA

THE POWER OF

Page 8: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

THE NAME JACK MA doesn’t quite

have the same celebrity wow factor as

Microsoft’s Bill Gates or Facebook’s

Mark Zuckerberg, at least not to the

average consumer.

But it’s a different story in the

business community, especially

among those who have watched

China’s rapid growth. Ma’s domestic

and international success is enough to

make financial fanboys swoon.

The 51-year-old Ma is the founder

and executive chairman of Alibaba,

a successful collection of online

marketplaces. Though he claims that

he’s just a self-made businessman

who doesn’t consider himself tech-

savvy, he’s now one of the richest

men in China, and one of the 25

most powerful people in the world,

according to Forbes.

With a net worth of US $23.4

billion, he’s considered a global game

changer and has made strategic

investments not just in his native China

but also in several U.S. business

sectors, including retail, sports and

film.

In 2014, Alibaba had a successful

IPO, raising US $25 billion, which

placed the company on firm footing in

the global marketplace, and drawing

comparisons to Amazon, eBay, and

Etsy all rolled into one.

The company’s price dipped

the following year due to quality

control problems and allegations of

counterfeiting among some of its

third-party vendors, but has since

recovered due to Ma’s leadership.

Ma continues to look ahead for

ways to boost the business and also

stimulate the Chinese economy. He

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Alibaba Group in Hangzhou, China

LEADERSHIP

Page 9: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

has developed a reputation as not only

an effective businessman but also as a

philanthropist.

Today, he—and Alibaba—have both

become models of the value of hard

work and how to create opportunities

for others.

EARLY FALSE STARTSIn many classic executive success

stories, the signs of someone’s

financial prowess and acumen can

be seen at an early age, such as high

marks on tests or micro-ventures like

landscaping or lemonade stands.

Ma’s tale doesn’t follow this

template, as he never put himself on

common financial or academic fast

tracks while growing up in Hangzhou.

Investopedia reported that he

admitted to repeatedly failing vital

tests for primary school, middle

school and college. He was denied

admission from Harvard all 10 times he

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B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

Alibaba Group in Hangzhou, China

Page 10: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

of his energy on learning English

extremely well, in addition to mastering

Western and Asian economics and

creating friendships with business

leaders worldwide.

ALIBABA’S ROOTSIn the 1990s, Ma began working on

the early versions of Alibaba, which

evolved from the idea of an online

local business directory he and friends

had developed a few years earlier.

Rather than simply selling products or

services online, the idea was to give

other businesses the venue to do it

themselves.

This business-to-business

approach first appealed to small-sized

Chinese merchants, before expanding

its reach to medium-sized ventures.

By 2000, the company began

expanding globally and securing

venture capital. Alibaba became

a preferred option for Chinese

entrepreneurs to do businesses within

the country and internationally. In

2014, the company moved forward

with its IPO on the American stock

exchange.

Today, Alibaba is a holding company

that includes nine smaller companies

applied, and was rejected both when

he applied to be a police officer and a

manager at a fast food chain.

Even after launching Alibaba in

China the early 2000s, he was unable

to obtain additional funding from high-

tech investors in California.

Though “fail a lot until you don’t”

isn’t a wholly unique approach to

business success, Ma took the

initiative to excel in other areas and

build his strengths. Eventually he

completed a bachelor’s degree

and MBA, notably something

neither Zuckerberg nor Gates ever

accomplished. He focused much

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LEADERSHIP

Page 11: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

such as Taobao Marketplace, Tmall,

Alipay and Alibaba Cloud Computing.

Since China’s commerce and

government are closely connected,

Alibaba has something of a “home

court advantage,” while other U.S.

companies must tread lightly or

are barred completely from doing

business in the country. Alibaba is

welcomed and supported by the

government, although Ma has also

strived to maintain some degree of his

own independence.

Alibaba’s visibility comes at a cost,

making it more susceptible to China’s

current challenges. At the same time,

Ma has the potential for a new and

useful role in the global marketplace –

that of a diplomat who is on excellent

terms with Western investors while

still remaining trusted by his Chinese

peers.

Some of these possibilities

were demonstrated recently when

Facebook was having difficulties

establishing a foothold in China. Once

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LEADERSHIP

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Page 13: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Zuckerberg introduced the idea of Ma

being a local partner for Facebook’s

new Oculus Rift virtual reality service,

doors seemed to open wide.

FUTURE INNOVATIONSIn addition to leading such a dominant

company, Ma continues to look

ahead for other capital projects to

back, along with ways to improve

the efficiency and effectiveness of

Alibaba.

He’s quick to put the well-being of

customers first, where his competitors

tend to focus on shareholders and

employees before end-users. He

tries to find as many ways as possible

to offer free services, an admired

but rarely practiced approach in

competitive business environments.

His interest in making life better

for others is also reflected in Ma’s

charitable efforts. Inspired by his

friend former U.S. President Bill

Clinton, he has looked for ways to not

just help his local community but the

world, including poverty relief and

disaster assistance.

Ma is the first Chinese citizen to

serve on the board of the Nature

Conservancy, an international

organization designed to purchase

and preserve land from development.

This long-term thinking goes

counter to many Chinese business

efforts, which are more focused

on industrialization vs. long-term

concerns for the environment.

Interestingly, he approaches

charitable giving on his own terms,

rather than simply following the crowd

and getting out his checkbook. He has

even criticized some Chinese charities

for not being transparent about how

much money actually goes to victims,

and challenged other donors to put

better research into charities that

receive their money.

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B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

Page 14: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

W R I T T E N BY: BU S I N E S S R E V I E W S TA F F

The gap between consumer and corporate use of social media in Australia and Asia continues to widen as Millennials age up. Is it too late for business owners to wise up?

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE

TECHNOLOGY

Page 15: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS

SOCIAL MEDIA

Page 16: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

SOCIAL MEDIA HAS taken a

prominent position, becoming an

important method of communication

for businesses. It has changed

customer/business relationships in a

multitude of ways, offering a volume of

communication that no other medium

can. It allows companies to gather

information about their customers’

needs and wants, as well as offering

direct interaction and the chance to

maintain good public relations.

GENERAL AUDIENCESEven among the biggest sites like

Facebook, Instagram is considered

to be most significant for advertising

and business growth this decade.

The photo-sharing site has expanded

its Australian user-base by over 200

percent in the last three years. More

and more of Australia’s social media

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TECHNOLOGY

Page 17: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

users have migrated to Instagram from

Facebook.

Social media use also continues

to grow in Asia. Besides the ongoing

growth of Facebook, a number of

startups are also joining the crowd,

with the goal of becoming leaders

in their various niches. With strong

competition in that region, social

media is rapidly becoming a numbers

game, driven by many compelling new

features. Major new media firms like

TechinAsia, aim to leverage all such

activities in the digital social scene.

FOR BUSINESS AUDIENCESFor Australian businesses, Facebook

takes the lead, used by a massive 93%

of businesses actively engaging social

media in the region. Trailing Facebook,

behind at a considerable distance,

are LinkedIn at 28 percent, Instagram

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B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

Page 18: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

the U.S., Twitter is the second-most

popular social media site among

marketers. Twitter also ranks very

high in the UK. It seems there’s

considerable room to grow for Twitter

in Australia.

SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING IN THE EASTERN HEMISPHEREFigures indicate that only 30 percent

of small businesses and 32 percent

of medium-sized Australasian

businesses currently have an active

at 26 percent, and Google+ at 23

percent. Pinterest and Twitter each

come in last, at 17 percent.

With Asian business audiences, the

percentages stack up at a similar rate,

but the numbers are more difficult to

track due to censorship in communist

countries. It is estimated that

traditionalist attitudes also go some

distance to hold back social media use

in that region of the world.

Notably, Twitter holds a strikingly

low standing with Australasians. In

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TECHNOLOGY

Page 19: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

social media influence. In the U.S.,

by comparison, 57 percent of small

businesses maintain active social

media accounts.

Nearly 97 percent of the 2.1 million

companies registered in Australia and

the 1.9 million registered in Asia are

considered “small businesses.” That

indicates that over a million Australian

businesses have no social media

presence at all. This is a startling

fact, considering that 68 percent of

consumers are using these sites, and

highlights a significant but missed

opportunity in the region.

The gap between consumer

use and business use is magnified

further, considering the numbers in

younger demographics: 95 percent

of young Australians consider social

media sites to be an important

part of their lives. The necessity of

businesses to develop influence

on social media is increasing, as

younger demographics will eventually

mature into more profitable consumer

brackets. The data shows ever-

growing opportunities for Australasian

businesses to find their audiences

using digital social channels.

FOLLOWING THE PATH TO PURCHASEA major area of interest in marketing is

how Australians and Asians are using

their social networks for research,

and what its influence is on their

purchases. Studies have shown that

49 percent of Australians and 35

percent of Asians, almost without

exception, will make a purchase based

on their social media research. This

sheds light on the business value of

social media, above and beyond just

posting images, content and collecting

“likes.” This figure will only increase,

given the focus that all social networks

are placing on search in response to

this trend.

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Page 20: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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TECHNOLOGY

Page 21: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

BENDING THE CONNECTIVITY CURVEThe quality of connectivity is a real

issue in Australia, both for customers

and businesses. Despite this,

companies want to invest in social

media in order to increase their sales.

It is still easier to buy via the Internet

than the shopping center, for those

who don’t mind delivery delays.

Moreover, customer reviews are

crucial for shoppers looking to make

an educated choice. They trust friends

more than they trust advertisements.

This makes social media both

a tremendous opportunity for

customers to share their opinions, and

an excellent channel for companies to

advertise and gain market leverage.

Australian businesses have

understood that their presence on

social media is necessary in order to

be seen by consumers. Globally, about

54 percent of companies confirm their

presence on social media (36 percent

of the small companies, 48 percent

of medium-sized companies and 77

percent of the large organizations).

This is a great opportunity for foreign

businesses to invest in Australia: firstly,

for its location; and secondly, as a

competitive advantage, as investors

become increasingly interested in the

territory.

Social media is a revolution for

businesses and for consumers, flush

with the new power to interact directly

with each other. It is essential for

Australasian businesses to come to

terms with this wake up call, in order to

remain competitive and seize crucial

leveraging opportunities before they

slip away.

Page 22: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

ESSENTIAL BUSINESS APPS

FOR AUSTRALASIA

TOP 10

TOP 10

Page 23: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

2 3

Written by: Glen White

ESSENTIAL BUSINESS APPS

FOR AUSTRALASIATo increase their agility, productivity, and

communication, businesses of all sizes can benefit from the following apps.

TOP 10

Page 24: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

So who doesn’t know what LinkedIn is? It is the world’s biggest social network for business with over 400 million users, but many seem to forget to download the app to their smartphone. Apparently only around 25 percent of users have the app. I guess that’s because it’s not that great as an app, but it is still very useful and a very powerful business tool.

Platforms: Available on iOS and AndroidCEO: Jeff Weiner WWW.LINKEDIN.COM

@LINKEDIN

So how many times do we take down a note and then forget where we put it, or hear the phrase “my notes are all over the place”? Well there is quite an easy solution, and that is to download the Evernote App onto your phone. Create your own range of online notebooks, search easily for your notes, and organize all of your notes by keyword or color. It is easy having in on your phone, because your notes are available wherever you go. It’s also a great place to keep that “To Do List” that you keep forgetting about.

Platforms: Available on iOS and AndroidCEO: Chris O’Neill WWW.EVERNOTE.COM

@EVERNOTE

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LINKEDIN

EVERNOTE

10

9

TOP 10

Page 25: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

SQUARE

CISCO WEBEX

So we are all in business to make money, but sometimes the hard bit can be getting paid. Square is effectively a great app to solve that problem. Allowing users to take credit cards on the go, it can provide the equivalent of a cash register in your pocket. It also can sync with your laptop to provide cool analytics to better understand your business and drive sales. It’s just a great way to process payments from your smartphone.

Platforms: Available on iOS and AndroidCEO: Jack Dorsey WWW.SQUAREUP.COM

@SQUARE

We hear all about globalization, and technology does allow business to be done anywhere in the world— so how do we all meet up regularly? Cisco WebEx is a very popular app that allows users to stay in touch using tools such as on-demand collaboration, online meetings, web and video conferencing. It allows peer to peer brainstorming over the video chat, private meeting rooms, screen sharing, and more. You can effectively work and meet whoever, whenever, wherever.

Platforms: Apps available on iOS, Android and Desktop (Mac /Windows)CEO: Chuck Robbins WWW.WEBEX.COM

@WEBEX

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8

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Page 26: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

DROPBOXSo you love Outlook on your laptop or at your desk, yet what about when you are on the go, away from the office? Well another great app is Microsoft Office Mobile, which is essentially a free office suite by Microsoft for smartphones and tablets. It is meant to be compatible with desktop versions of the office suite and allows you to use all of the popular products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint from your phone.

Platforms: Available on iOS and AndroidCEO: Satya Nadella WWW.OFFICE.COM/MOBILE

@OFFICE

Decent cloud storage is almost a necessity today, whether at home or at work. So you could be linked to the Microsoft Cloud or Microsoft’s OneDrive, but we recommend using Dropbox as an independent app. Launched back in 2007, Dropbox offer free basic accounts (2GB) or you can upgrade to Dropbox Pro and get 1TB of data for US$13.99 a month. Dropbox can be used to store any type of file, as well as share files with others as a great “all-rounder” in the crowded world of cloud storage.

Platforms: Apps available on iOS, Android and Desktop (Mac /Windows)CEO: Drew Houston WWW.DROPBOX.COM

@DROPBOX

OFFICE MOBILE6

5

TOP 10

Page 27: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

OPENTABLE

SKYPE FOR BUSINESS

Many business deals are struck over breakfast, lunch, and especially dinner. When you’re travelling and looking for just the right place, you may just want to download Opentable. This easy-to-use app allows you to look for available tables at restaurants in real-time. The popular app provides online reservations for some 31,000 restaurants worldwide and allows users to book based on times, dates, type of cuisine, and price range, and we thoroughly recommended when travelling on business.

Platforms: Available on iOS and AndroidCEO: Christa Quaries WWW.OPENTABLE.COM

@OPENTABLE

Microsoft has now launched a new iOS and Android app, called Skype for Business, a piece of software that’s meant as a modern replacement for Microsoft Lync. SFB allows you to collaborate with anyone, anywhere, on any device via Microsoft Cloud or Office 365. Helpful for instant messaging, online meetings and screen sharing, SFB also lets you interact with Outlook products such as Calendar, Word, PowerPoint, etc. and is protected by strong authentication and encryption.

Platforms: Apps available on iOS, Android and Desktop (Mac /Windows)CEO: Satya Nadella WWW.SKYPE.COM/EN/BUSINESS

@SKYPEBUSINESS

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B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

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PLAY VIDEO

Page 28: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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So if you haven’t already heard of Uber, what planet have you been living on? This incredibly successful “technology unicorn” is an unbelievable story of the new economy and how a company can start from scratch in 2009 and estimated by some to now be worth in excess of US$60B today, yes I did say US$60B. So from a business perspective, Uber is a super smart way to get a ride anywhere, from potentially anyone, depending on how much you are prepared to pay. For most business travelers where the service is available, it is by far the easiest way to get “black car

service,” whether that be a luxury five-door sedan to an even more luxurious seven-seat SUV. Uber is ultra-price competitive, it’s easy to download and use and it’s even easier to set up from a payment perspective – no cash needed. Uber beats most local taxi services hands down.

Platforms: Available on iOS and Android CEO: Travis Kalanick

WWW.UBER.COM

@UBER

UBER2

PLAY VIDEO

TOP 10

Page 29: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

So the web creates the biggest opportunity for collaboration, but how do we collaborate and moreover, how do we collaborate as a team at work? Well if you haven’t heard of Slack by now, you soon will, as you may have already seen their crazy animal advertisements on TV. At its heart, Slack is an instant messaging and collaboration system on steroids, but there is a lot more to Slack than that. This innovative team communication app provides unique functionality that is extremely powerful for companies

of all sizes. Slack offers channels, private meetings, direct messages, file sharing, search, notifications and so on. Slack has four price tiers: free, standard at US$8 month, plus at US$15 month, and enterprise, coming soon.

Platforms: Apps available on iOS, Android and Desktop (Mac / Windows) or just use it through your browserCEO: Stewart Butterfield WWW.SLACK.COM

@SLACKHQ

1 SLACK

B U S I N E S S R E V I E W A U S T R A L I A

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PLAY VIDEO

Page 30: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

AMONG THE MACAWSMACA Ltd has recently entered the mining market in South America with great success and is rapidly making itself part of the Brazilian mining ecosystem Written by: John O’Hanlon | Produced by: Glen White

Page 31: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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Page 32: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

MACA are industry leaders throughout Australia known as a competent

and established contractor specialising in earthmoving, civil work and specialised crushing and screening work for mining projects. It is widely acknowledged that the mining industry is having a hard time, particularly the Western

Australian iron ore sector. Projects are running at capacity to get as much upside from volumes as possible, but long term prospects remain gloomy.

STRENGTH IN D IVERSE PROJECTSMACA’s management, noting current mining market trends,

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MACA

Volvo fleet at Antas

Page 33: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

diversified at the time of the global financial crisis, diversifying across commodities through gold, nickel, iron ore and diamond projects in Western Australia. Its most timely and visionary action was to look abroad; in 2013, it sent a team to Brazil to explore opportunities in the country’s vibrant mining economy.

“Our systems and structure

weren’t in place to venture abroad,” said Mitch Wallace, General Manager for MACA Brazil Operations, “but we looked closely at the Tucano project for Beadell Resources, an Australian company that had a gold project up in Amapá State in the northern region of Brazil. The following year we came over to Brazil in earnest and, in November

M I N I N G

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MACA

Page 34: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Equipamentos Agrícolas Volvo.

www.volvoce.com

BEING THE FIRSTKEEPING THE LEAD

Volvo Construction Equipment

Fifty years ago the world’s first articulated hauler rolled off the Volvo production line in Braås, Sweden. Fondly known as ‘Gravel Charlie’ this machine would be the first step on a fifty year journey which has seen Volvo haulers transform earthmoving and transport operations in the construction sector. Fifty years later and the Volvo articulated hauler line up is still leading the way.

Volvo Dealer for SP, RJ, ES, MG, GO, DF, TO, MA, PA, AP, AM and RR

Page 35: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Equipamentos Agrícolas Volvo.

www.volvoce.com

BEING THE FIRSTKEEPING THE LEAD

Volvo Construction Equipment

Fifty years ago the world’s first articulated hauler rolled off the Volvo production line in Braås, Sweden. Fondly known as ‘Gravel Charlie’ this machine would be the first step on a fifty year journey which has seen Volvo haulers transform earthmoving and transport operations in the construction sector. Fifty years later and the Volvo articulated hauler line up is still leading the way.

Volvo Dealer for SP, RJ, ES, MG, GO, DF, TO, MA, PA, AP, AM and RR

Page 36: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

started our first project for Beadell, which was to provide mining services through management and plant rental for Beadell at its Tucano project.”

Tucano is an established gold mine that has been producing for Beadell since 2012, and from it, Beadell produced more than 122,000 ounces in 2015. It is a huge project, covering 2,500 square kilometers that hold reserves of 5 million ounces and with expansions highly likely. Convinced that they could make a difference, the MACA team injected capital into the project and set about doing the work they

Dump trucks at Tucano

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Tucano

Resource

Client

Location

Gold

Beadell Resources Limited

Amapá State - Brazil

Page 37: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

know best.Though they are on the same

latitude, Brazil and Western Australia are very different environments. The most apparent difference is the weather: very rarely is a WA project held up by rain, whereas North of the Amazon River, annual rainfall is measured in meters as opposed to millimeters, most of it falling between January and May. Generally, service providers simply shut down during these months, but MACA understands that the primary goal of every miner in the world is to move ore, and that for every ton of

ore delivered to the stockpile results in seven or eight tons of waste matter that has to be shifted. “It was hard getting things moving last year,” said Wallace. “One truck with a flat tire sat submerged in mud up to its front bumper for eight weeks. Our focus was to safely establish haul roads and operating systems so we could operate through the wet season.”

With Tucano well under way, MACA started its second Brazil contract in November 2015: a five-year deal to support Avanco Resources at its Antas project in the

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Wet season at Tucano site

Page 38: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

IF YOU WANT TO IMPORT OR EXPORTAXIS SHIPPING KNOWS THE WAY

Av. Álvares Cabral, 982 - Conj. 301Bairro Lourdes - 30170-001, Belo Horizonte/MG - BrazilTel: + 55 (31) 2127-6900 | Fax: + 55 (31) 2127 6901

Branches: São Paulo | Rio de Janeiro | Belém | Manaus | Goiânia

[email protected] | www.axisshipping.com.br

Axis shipping is the connection between your company and the world. We invest in people, information and technology to always present the best solutions. Experienced professionals monitor all the process of import, export, consolidations, distributions and deliveries. We manage transport and logistics as an integral part of your business. We offer a network of agents that are spread through the globe and a wide range of services to meet the demanddemand of your company. Excellence, strategy, security, integrity, credibility and commitment lead the actions of Axis Shipping. We offer you information and comfort to enable you to take care of your business!!!

Page 39: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

MACA M I N I N G

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state of Pará. This is a high grade – better than three percent – copper project with gold credits. MACA currently has 75 direct employees on site engaged in mining services, plant management and drill and blast activities. At present, this is a surface mine, but MACA plans to diversify in underground mining services and hopefully continue support and grow with its client Avanco.

In both cases, according to Wallace, MACA has chosen to work with a client it already knows well. “We like working with small and mid

tier clients because you know the management is not going to change: we can build a strong relationship with them. We are aligning ourselves with the mid tier people and growing with them,” he said.

SOURCING LOCAL AS SETSIn all, the company employs around 150 national employees directly and manages as many as 500 across both projects. This is in addition to the 16 expatriates in training and technical advisory roles.

“Our main aim is to create

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leading to the success of all their projects.

SUPPLIER PROFILE AXIS SHIPPING

Page 40: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Turnaround at Tucano commenced. Improved operational efficiency and exploration potential will underpin future growth.

STRONG PARTNERSHIP IN-COUNTRY WITH MINING CONTRACTOR MACA

Level 2, 16 Ord Street, West Perth WA 6005T: +61 8 9429 0800 F: +61 8 9481 3176

Email: [email protected]

Beadell Resources Limited is an ASX listed gold producer with forecast gold production in 2016 of 145,000 – 160,000 ounces from its 100% owned Tucano mine, North of Brazil.Tucano has an existing multi-million ounce JORC gold resource with significant exploration potential.

Page 41: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

M I N I N GMACA

sustainable employment here in Brazil, and continuously improve mining practices ,” said Wallace. “This will be achieved through continuous improvement, upskilling our workforce and introducing safe and efficient mining practices. One of the prevalent barriers throughout South America is that people are operationally single-tasked. It’s our goal to introduce a multi-skilled and diversified workforce. We have identified some quick fixes

and long-term solutions, and will implement programs so that we can keep continuously improving. Brazilian people are passionate and enthusiastic about learning new things, and we have to be able to offer an attractive package to source and retain the best people within the sector.”

Working in Brazil and negotiating recruitment, tax and contract law issues is complex, and having a competent local partner is vital.

Turnaround at Tucano commenced. Improved operational efficiency and exploration potential will underpin future growth.

STRONG PARTNERSHIP IN-COUNTRY WITH MINING CONTRACTOR MACA

Level 2, 16 Ord Street, West Perth WA 6005T: +61 8 9429 0800 F: +61 8 9481 3176

Email: [email protected]

Beadell Resources Limited is an ASX listed gold producer with forecast gold production in 2016 of 145,000 – 160,000 ounces from its 100% owned Tucano mine, North of Brazil.Tucano has an existing multi-million ounce JORC gold resource with significant exploration potential.

w w w. m a c a . n e t . a u 4 1

Start of shift - Toolbox meeting in Tucano

Page 42: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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Page 43: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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MACA was fortunate in being able to form an association with FFA Legal and its founder Luis Azevedo, a well-respected mining geologist and corporate attorney.

“The support FFA has provided MACA has enabled us to focus on what we do best: provide reliable and safe support services to our clients and the broader resource sector. Without the team at FFA, we wouldn’t have been as fortunate in experiencing the early success we have seen,” said Wallace.

“Procurement and best practice asset management is our bread and butter at MACA and my background throughout the last 20-25 years,” he added. Operating in Brazil is a completely different ball game

with barriers to entry designed to encourage local manufacturing places and huge restrictions on importation and foreign investment. The majority of large mining equipment needed for mining is not made in Brazil though, and imported goods are extremely expensive. For example, a earthmoving tire is typically 60% more expensive in Brazil than in Australia. Wallace said that the outlook does look promising, however, given that a change in government could create a possibility of changes within Brazil.

Many service providers will try to save and cut costs by sourcing equipment off shore, but Wallace does not agree with that strategy.

M I N I N GMACA

“We are proud to have been able to continue these relationships with their South America offices. Companies such as Liebherr and Orica were very quick to assist us with the transition into the new market place, offering us assistance and advice to navigate through the processes to get work done.”

– Mitch Wallace, General Manager (Brazil Operations)

Page 44: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

CHRIS TUCKWELLManaging Director and Chief Executive Officer B Eng (Construction)

MITCH WALLACEGeneral Manager (Brazil Operations)

GEOFF BAKERExecutive Director of Operations

TIM GOOCH General Manager (Mining)B Eng (Mining)

PETER GILFORDChief Financial Officer / Company SecretaryBCom, CA

MAURICE DESSAUVAGIEGeneral Manager (Civil)B Eng (Civil)

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

Page 45: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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“We have always sourced our equipment through OEM suppliers to secure their support. Our relationship with Tracbel and its CEO Luiz Gustavo R. Magalhães Pereira has been unbelievably helpful to us. Without his assistance and support, we would not be where we are today,” Wallace said.

Tracbel is a family-owned business, based in Minas Gerais and with 25 branches covering 75 percent of Brazil. Tracbel is a

licensed dealer for many OEMs, including Volvo and Michelin.

MACA has always been proud of its long standing relationships with many companies in Australia. Loyalty, customer services and reputation are often more important than price. “We are proud to have been able to continue these relationships with their South America offices,” said Wallace. “Companies such as Liebherr and Orica were very quick to assist

Mitch Wallace and Geoff Baker with experts at the Antas site

M I N I N GMACA

Page 46: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

COMPANY NAME

contracts department is working on prospects at present, but the company won’t overstretch itself at the expense of its existing clients. The two projects in the North take up a lot of time, even for a hands-on company like MACA. Travel around Brazil is challenging and commuting between Rio de Janeiro—where

us with the transition into the new market place, offering us assistance and advice to navigate through the processes to get work done.”

A COMPANY W ITH A HEARTThere are plenty of opportunities for expansion in Brazil, and MACA’s

First load at Antas site

MACA

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Page 47: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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COMPANY NAME

problem. MACA is a company with a heart, actively supporting a range of Not-for-Profit organizations and community programs. Wallace manages to find time to contribute to these efforts. The Hawaiian Ride for Youth (HRFY) began in 2003 when a small group of recreational cyclists in Australia decided to raise

Wallace’s office is located—and Amapá State is several thousand kilometers and therefore absorbs a lot of valuable time.

Though Wallace spends extended periods away and only gets to see his family back in Australia once every three or four months on average, boredom is never his

M I N I N GMACA

Antas

Resource

Client

Location

Copper

Avanco Resources Limited

Pará State - Brazil

Page 48: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

on March 23 to be a part of this amazing event that reaches out to so many young people.”

HRFY is held annually in March across five days, with riders covering over 700 kilometers. “On our journey, we stop at high schools to engage the students in the issues of youth suicide, depression and self-harm and the services that Youth Focus provides. The riders

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funds for Youth Focus to assist in the prevention of youth suicide, depression and self-harm.

“2016 was my fourth HRFY. Though working abroad made training a little difficult, the sacrifice required to ride a few kilometers became insignificant, compared to the suffering many young people face with life’s challenges,” Wallace said. “I flew back to Australia

MACA

Orica provides market-leading customer solutions to improve productivity and resource efficiency in the mining, quarrying, oil and gas and infrastructure sectors. An Australian company with a global footprint, Orica has a diverse workforce of over 14,000 people, with operations in more than 50 countries and customers in more than 100.

OOrica’s value of No Accidents Today underpins our commitment to the safety, health and wellbeing of our people and customers, the environment, and the communities in which we operate.

orica.comRide to Conquer Cancer

Page 49: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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also share their personal stories and experiences as many have been touched in some way by these very personal issues,” he said.

Another bike ride, the MACA Ride to Conquer Cancer 2016 in support of the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, takes place in Perth. Last year 300 MACA riders raised $1.2 million for this cause. This may not seem very relevant to Brazil, but cancer is a global problem, and among others Tracbel’s Luiz Gustavo Pereira is enthusiastically supporting the event.

Company Information

N A M E

MACA

I N D U S T RY

Mining

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Welshpool, Western Australia

B R A Z I L

P R O J E C T S

Tucano Resource - Gold Antas Resource - Copper

M I N I N G

S E R V I C E S

Load and Haul

Drill and Blast

Crush and Screen

Materials Handling

M I N I N GMACA

Ride to Conquer Cancer

Page 50: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

AN ATTITUDE OF ACHIEVEMENT

Civmec is a relative newcomer to the Australian resources market but its growth has been unstoppable. Co-founder and CEO Pat Tallon explains

the agile philosophy that is keeping the company ahead in challenging times.

Written by: John O’Hanlon | Produced by: Glen White

Page 51: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

AN ATTITUDE OF ACHIEVEMENT

Civmec is a relative newcomer to the Australian resources market but its growth has been unstoppable. Co-founder and CEO Pat Tallon explains

the agile philosophy that is keeping the company ahead in challenging times.

Written by: John O’Hanlon | Produced by: Glen White

5 1

Page 52: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Established late in 2009, Civmec wasted no time in making itself the go-to multi-

disciplinary service provider to the Western Australia (WA) contracting market, winning its first contracts to construct two 400T precast intake pump structures for the Binningup Desalination Plant and site civil works in the same year. 2009 also marked the start of construction of its waterfront facilities on the Australian Marine Complex (AMC) at Henderson south of Perth.

Today, Henderson is the largest undercover fabrication facility of its kind in Australia at 120,000 square metres. Roughly a quarter of the facility is dedicated to the fabrication, assembly and commissioning of smart modularised structures up to 4,000 square metres and 18 metres high under a single roof. “It couldn’t be in a better location,” says Civmec CEO Pat Tallon. “We can do pretty much anything that any customer can throw at us, and we can do it very efficiently and very quickly.”

According to Tallon, all of Civmec’s sites, spread from

Western Australia to New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territories, were chosen for optimum access to ship, road and rail logistics. In its first four years, Civmec targeted the booming mining and offshore oil and gas (O&G) sectors. Despite recent falls in commodity prices, which have hit Australia’s iron ore, coal and hydrocarbons sectors particularly

CIVMEC

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Civmec Henderson

hard, the solid reputation Civmec has gained with the oil industry, such as providing the subsea manifold for Apache’s Coniston project, have ensured a healthy continuing order book.

“The contracts are smaller than they were before, but there is still a requirement for innovative expertise – and smaller jobs require just as much project management input as

the larger ones,” says Tallon. It’s a similar story in mining. Low

prices mean that the majors are typically working their plants to their nameplate capacity and beyond as volume takes the place of margin. The emphasis of the iron ore market has shifted to some extent from China to fast growing markets including India and developing African and Asian economies.

CIVMEC

Page 54: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Holcim is one of the world’s leading construction materials companies, delivering

cement, aggregates and concrete in over 70 countries. With strength, performance and

passion we have been supporting Australia’s construction industry for the past 100 years.

Previously known as Readymix in Australia our products have built some of our country’s

most iconic landmarks from major infrastructure, civil and mining projects right through

to residential. Our 3,000 people located at 300 sites help us deliver. With strength,

performance and passion.

www.holcim.com.au | ph (02) 9412 6600

Building with strength, performance and passion.

Strength. Performance. Passion.

Page 55: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

However there is still a significant level of confidence among companies like Rio Tinto, which has partnered with Civmec on important projects and the huge Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill development in the Pilbara, where Civmec was called in when an overseas fabrication contractor failed to deliver. A large package of work was involved, including three structural steel modules up to 160 tonnes, platework, conveyors, extensive cabling, electrical switchrooms and up to 620 Civmec personnel to

deliver the job on a tight nine-month schedule.

“We are happy with our performance at Roy Hill, because it proved we can deliver technically and commercially on a job like this,” says Tallon.

A TALE OF D IVERS IF ICATIONNevertheless the downturn is a fact, with Tallon explaining the importance of planning from the outset to diversify from year five onwards and to widen the

w w w. c i v m e c . c o m . a u 5 5

Holcim is one of the world’s leading construction materials companies, delivering

cement, aggregates and concrete in over 70 countries. With strength, performance and

passion we have been supporting Australia’s construction industry for the past 100 years.

Previously known as Readymix in Australia our products have built some of our country’s

most iconic landmarks from major infrastructure, civil and mining projects right through

to residential. Our 3,000 people located at 300 sites help us deliver. With strength,

performance and passion.

www.holcim.com.au | ph (02) 9412 6600

Building with strength, performance and passion.

Strength. Performance. Passion.

Products and services Holcim operates right across the Australia supplying construction materials from a network of more than 200 concrete plants, 900 mixer trucks, 60 quarries, 16 Humes precast manufacturing plants, and mobile and on-site contracting facilities.

We offer an extensive array of premix products designed to achieve specific properties based on their application, transport and construction requirements. Mobile concrete batching and on-site operations service major projects and remote rural communities. Holcim provides an extensive range of technical and testing services backed by laboratory facilities in all major locations.

The quarry products available from our operations throughout Australia including rail ballast, aggregates, gravels, road pavement materials, and manufactured and natural sands.

Our Humes business is Australia’s longest serving precast concrete manufacturer and specialises in providing engineered precast and pre-stressed concrete.

For more information visit us at: www.holcim.com.au

SUPPLIER PROFILEHOLCIM

M I N I N G

Page 56: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

focus from O&G and mining to infrastructure and defence. The Perth waterfront used to be an under-utilized asset, but now WA’s capital city is finally making the most from it with the $2.6 billion Elizabeth Quay Project, which covers nearly ten hectares of prime riverfront land between Barrack and William streets in the heart of the city. The project creates a magnificent precinct featuring a newly dug 2.7 hectare inlet surrounded by a split level promenade, shops, cafés, restaurants and other exciting entertainment venues. Civmec

secured a major package of work on Elizabeth Quay in July 2014, laying down a marker that it had arrived in the infrastructure space.

“The job initially involved the supply of precast marine fascia panels, a very visible, architectural part of the development involving dramatic curved shapes around the whole perimeter. This led to the award of an iconic steel structure, the two architectural arches supporting a pedestrian bridge. Not many people could have delivered the level of quality they needed,” Tallon says.

CIVMEC

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Construction work at Elizabeth Quay

Page 57: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Moving from the heart of Perth to the gateway of Perth Airport, Civmec has recently undertaken important parts of the road development around the airport. It has also delivered significant fabrication work at the new Virgin Australia terminal, a world-class facility and the most significant project in Perth Airport’s current $1 billion redevelopment.

These high-profile jobs helped Civmec to secure another contract that will put it very much in the spotlight. In March 2015, Civmec was awarded the contract to deliver the steelwork that is part of the construction of the $1.1 billion Perth Stadium, due to open in 2018. The contract involves the fabrication, surface treatment and installation of over 4,500T of

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C IVMEC M I N I N G

Perth Airport Project

Page 58: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

structural steelwork that makes up the stadium superstructure. In June 2015, Civmec was also awarded a further contract on the Perth Stadium to part supply and install precast elements including seating platforms and step units.

“The stadium contract is the latest in a series of projects where Civmec is taking a major role in the development of new infrastructure for Perth,” says Tallon.

“WE CAN DO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING THAT ANY CUSTOMER CAN THROW AT US, AND WE CAN DO IT VERY EFFICIENTLY AND VERY QUICKLY.”– Pat Tallon, CEO

Perth Stadium Project team reviewing the project schedule

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Page 59: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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first full EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning) contract, on the expansion of BHP Billiton’s Jimblebar iron ore mine in the Pilbara. The $145 million contract involves the installation of a new primary crusher and additional conveying capacity which will employ approximately 270 personnel at its peak.

“We secured this job on the back

SUPPORTING NATIONAL SECUR IT YAll this demonstrates how successfully Pat Tallon and Jim Fitzgerald have led the company from a startup in 2009, through its listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange in 2012, to what is fast becoming a dominating position in the Australian civil contracting market. In a joint venture with Sedgman, Civmec secured its

Civmec employees conducting quality checks in the Henderson workshop

Page 60: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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of delivering to clients through the EPCM process,” he explains. “It puts us into a different space: under EPCM, the client hired an engineer to manage the project, then the engineer hired the contractors. Under EPCC the client specifies what they wants and we come in, take over the design, liability and the risk and build the plant at a fixed, lump-sum price. It’s better for the client because it delivers cost savings by cutting out the engineer in the middle.”

Civmec’s expansion across Australia, as well as its positioning on the SGX, will place it in good stead when it comes to its next planned strategic leap; expansion into the economies of Southeast Asia. Tallon does not propose to rush this move, however for the coming year, he plans to keep the focus firmly on the home market. This is to take advantage of their recent acquisition of the country’s largest privately-owned engineering and shipbuilding company, Forgacs

Page 61: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

along with its purpose-built shipyard at Tomago on the Hunter River, just 160 kilometres to the north of Sydney. The 22.7-hectare site includes 535 metres of river frontage with two ship basins. It is hard to overstress the significance of this move, since it gives Civmec the capability to be involved in defence builds over the coming years.

The Australian government has just announced that it will spend $150 billion over the next decade to include a doubling of its submarine fleet to 24, three additional destroyers, nine new frigates and twelve offshore patrol boats. This acquisition, added to Civmec’s own excellent reputation for making durable structures for long-term subsea performance, gives Civmec the opportunity to become deeply involved in the government programmes including submarines. A strong contender to design these vessels is Germany’s Thyssen Krupp, working with Siemens for their power plants. It has been suggested that Civmec would be favourite to build the pressure hulls.

“We wanted to get into fabrication

and precast on the east coast,” says Tallon. “There are so many opportunities for these activities particularly in NSW, so we are planning to create a facility that mirrors the Henderson site. It will be a major building block in our growth programme and will make up for the shortfall in mining and O&G contracts.”

M I N I N G

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Submarine hull section unveiled at Civmec Henderson

Page 62: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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COMPANY NAME

DOING R IGHT BY THE PEOPLEWhile diversification and geographical expansion when the time is right remain strategic goals, Tallon zealously guards his company’s founding principles, which put people first. One of his mantras is “hire for attitude, not skills,” a philosophy that plays well in Australia’s journey to a fairer

society. If a potential employee shows commitment and positivity, any lack of skills can be rectified. “We were all apprentices once,” says Tallon.

In April 2014, Civmec was accredited as a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). The training facility at Henderson, as well as managing apprenticeship and graduate programmes for

James Finbarr Fitzgerald Executive Chairman

Patrick John Tallon Chief Executive Officer

Page 63: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

S E C T O R

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COMPANY NAME

the society as a whole.Last year the company got

together with the David Liddiard Group (DLG) to create a joint venture subsidiary that will principally engage in securing and providing construction and engineering services with indigenous participation, for projects within the Australian defence sector.

Civmec DLG takes this

employees, offers free skills training to indigenous groups.

It’s not so much, Tallon says, that Civmec and all its Australian clients have a statutory requirement to employ indigenous personnel and subcontractors, as this is something the company tries to do as a matter of principle. It’s that a diverse and non-discriminatory workforce helps to advance the right development of

Patrick John Tallon Chief Executive Officer

Kevin James Deery Chief Operating Officer

Page 64: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

CIVMEC

engagement one step further, says Tallon. “DLG was a company that wanted to develop its people. So we came together to combine our understanding and experience in both industry capability and indigenous participation to ensure that each project is able to demonstrate authentic engagement with local Indigenous communities. We aim to upskill the local workforce, ensuring a sustainable

economic benefit wherever we deliver projects.”

As Tallon points out, in the defence sector there’s really only one customer. Work must be able to meet very exacting standards in quality, execution and capacity but the government is more committed to indigenous sourcing, and the new entity will be well placed to win defence work. As a further step towards positive

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View of the Yandi project where Civmec delivered site civil works, fabrication, modularisation and structural mechanical and piping installation services

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w w w. c i v m e c . c o m . a u 6 5The team at Nammuldi after the successful installation of the train loadout bin

“WE GOT THE EPC BHP JIMBLEBAR CONTRACT ON THE BACK OF DELIVERING TO CLIENTS THROUGH EPCM. IT PUTS US INTO A DIFFERENT SPACE.”– Pat Tallon, CEO

View of the Yandi project where Civmec delivered site civil works, fabrication, modularisation and structural mechanical and piping installation services

Page 66: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

he says. “We are very aware that many employees spend long periods away from their families in remote areas, so we try to involve families as much as we can. We send out progress reports and other materials to the families to keep

community involvement, DLG contracts will incorporate long-term maintenance agreements so that the communities will benefit for many years post-execution.

“We are focused as a company on doing the right thing socially,”

Civmec made two donations to Dreamfit during FY2015 from savings attributed to the achievement of specific safety performance targets by our employees

CIVMEC

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them updated and we’ll always help if someone needs to come home in an emergency.

Environmentally, we aim to use renewable energy sources wherever possible, utilise sustainable waste management and endeavor to leave a site in as good or an even better condition than we found it.”

Company Information

I N D U S T RYConstruction, Engineering and Modularisation

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Henderson, WA - Australia

E S TA B L I S H E D

2009

E M P L O Y E S S

1500 approx

R E V E N U E

$499 Million (SGD)

CIVMEC

Page 68: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

BUILDING A GATEWAY

TO PERTHThe Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project seeks to give the capital city new levels of safety and efficiency

Written by: Sasha Orman | Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 69: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

6 9

BUILDING A GATEWAY

TO PERTHThe Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project seeks to give the capital city new levels of safety and efficiency

Written by: Sasha Orman | Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 70: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Western Australia, which allocated work to more than 600 local subcontractors and suppliers.”

The extensive scope of the $1 billion Gateway WA project includes vital upgrades to 7km of Tonkin Highway, 3km of Leach Highway and major interchanges in the area, including the ‘Grand

W ith significant global industry and tourism connections, and as

Western Australia’s capital, Perth is often our country’s primary entry point for visitors and trade partners—and first impressions are always important.

To alleviate Perth’s rising airport and industrial traffic, while ensuring that the city is always putting its best foot forward, Main Roads Western Australia assembled an Alliance of five industry leaders—CPB Contractors, Georgiou, GHD, AECOM, and BG&E—to take on the most ambitious road infrastructure project in Western Australia’s history.

“The Gateway WA Perth Airport and Freight Access Project is an iconic infrastructure project for Western Australia, providing a much needed upgrade to one of the State’s most important transport hubs,” says Ilario Spagnolo, Senior Project Director. “A road project of this size and scale had never been carried out in the state before. It was delivered by an Alliance of industry contractors, including Main Roads

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GATEWAY WA

Tonkin Highway / Roe Highway interchange in operation

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Gateway’ at the Tonkin Highway/Leach Highway interchange, and approximately 21km of continuous grade separated shared path and local connections for pedestrians and cyclists. In addition to these technical upgrades, the project is also creating more pleasant travels through such innovative aesthetic

urban design upgrades as 7km of noise/screen walls and more than one million plants.

Such an ambitious project often faces the risk of going over budget and past schedule. But through diligence and careful planning, Gateway WA is on track for completion at the end of March

GATEWAY WA

Tonkin Highway / Roe Highway interchange in operation

Page 72: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Gateway WA Quarterly Alliance Directors Award January – March 2015for the high standard of work delivered on the project

“At Westforce we strive to constantly improve and deliver in the most cost effective and safety conscious manner for each

and every client on each and every project.”

Westforce is a multi disciplined construction company focusing on major construction, infrastructure and resource projects across Australian metropolitan and remote areas.

TThe Westforce Group has both a “Construction” and a labour and plant “Hire” division. This allows Westforce to offer clients anything from a design and construct lump sum projects to a once off trade and plant placement.

27 Moojebing StreetBayswaterWA 6053

T: (08) 9279 1900F: (08) 9279 1422E: [email protected] www.westforce.com.au

Page 73: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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2016, under budget and nearly a year ahead of schedule.

SAFETY ON THE GATEWAY“The vision of the Gateway WA project was a safe and efficient transport network that provides an iconic gateway to Western Australia and the project’s mission was to safely deliver sustainable landmark infrastructure around Perth Airport and the Kewdale and Forrestfield freight precincts,” states Spagnolo. “Safety has always been at the forefront of what we have done and

what we have delivered.” When a complex project

with multiple high risk-posing components is at hand, a commitment to safety cannot simply be lip service. For the Gateway WA Alliance, safety is fully engrained in the workplace culture. The project has entailed what Spagnolo describes as a “hierarchy of control” including engineering, isolation, substitution and elimination to promote a high standard of safety that ultimately achieved concrete results.

Gateway WA Quarterly Alliance Directors Award January – March 2015for the high standard of work delivered on the project

“At Westforce we strive to constantly improve and deliver in the most cost effective and safety conscious manner for each

and every client on each and every project.”

Westforce is a multi disciplined construction company focusing on major construction, infrastructure and resource projects across Australian metropolitan and remote areas.

TThe Westforce Group has both a “Construction” and a labour and plant “Hire” division. This allows Westforce to offer clients anything from a design and construct lump sum projects to a once off trade and plant placement.

27 Moojebing StreetBayswaterWA 6053

T: (08) 9279 1900F: (08) 9279 1422E: [email protected] www.westforce.com.au

Employees: 70 -120 Established: 2006 Industry: Civil Construction

Services: Specialists in all aspects of the civil construction industry from earthworks to finished concrete & mechanical. Providers of skilled labour crews and plant hire.

Ongoing Projects: Roy Hill Chlorides Washing Facility, Beenyup Waste Water Treatment Plant, Australian Defence Facility Upgrade, Boral Crushing Facility, PTA Claisebrook Retaining Noise Walls, BHP Yandi Upgrade.

Management: Mike Murrey - Managing Director; John Smith - Commercial Director; Phil Clarke - Operations Director; Paddy Kearns, Resources Director

Website: www.westforce.com.au

SUPPLIER PROFILEWEST FORCE CONSTRUCTION

Page 74: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Telephone: (08) 9279 [email protected]

· W-Beam and Thrie-Beam Guardrail· Wire Rope Safety Barriers (WRSB)· Steel Protection Screen· Steel Security Bollards· Bridge Barriers

· Top Rail Barriers· Concrete Barriers· Temporary Barriers· Crash Cushions· End Treatments

Safety Barriers WA (SBWA) supplies and installs a wide variety of safety barriers for roads, bridges, car parks, temporary work sites and mine sites including:

www.safetybarriers.com.au

Page 75: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

C O N S T R U C T I O N

w w w. gatewaywa.com.au 7 5

“Gateway WA’s commitment to providing a robust safety culture resulted in the project achieving more than 4 million Lost Time Injury free hours,” says Spagnolo. “The team focused on the critical aspects of safety across all stages of design and construction, as well as frontline leadership.” That record has not gone unnoticed by the Alliance’s peers—the project took the ‘Best Workplace Safety and Health Management System’ award at the 2015 Western Australian Work Safety Awards.

AN INNOVATIVE APPROACHGateway WA has employed many instances of innovation and creative thinking to meet the unique challenges of the project, while increasing safety and efficiency for drivers at every turn.

“The introduction of the first, single-point urban interchange to the State, at Leach Highway/Abernethy Road, was innovative for Western Australia, and the introduction of the first-ever tennis ball design configuration, as part of the Roe Highway/Berkshire

Safety Barriers WA has over 30 years of experience in the Civil Construction industry supporting small and large Road Building projects all over Western Australia. Safety Barriers WA supply and install Guardrail, Wire Rope Safety Barriers, Bridge Barriers and Crash Cushion systems throughout Western Australia’s public roads, mine sites and commercial properties. Safety Barriers WA have successfully completed the largest ever Road Barrier package in Western Australia on the iconic Gateway WA project with over 45,000 metres of Road Barriers, Crash Cushions, End Treatments and Top Rails. Our work crews have a long standing reputation for their professional and safe attitude on-site and are often commended by our clients. Why compromise on Safety – Insist on Safety Barriers WA for your next project.

Website: www.safetybarries.com.au

SUPPLIER PROFILESAFETY BARRIERS WA

Page 76: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

improved road safety outcome for road users, while also moving traffic through the junction in an efficient manner.”

That same creative thinking helped Gateway WA stay ahead of schedule and keep workers safe, without adding undue disruptions to Perth’s already busy functioning highway system.

“Gateway WA was dealing with one of the State’s busiest transport hubs and had to keep freight and passengers moving during

Road interchange, was a first for Australia,” explains Spagnolo. “The innovative design at Roe Highway/Berkshire Road was prompted as a Safe Systems initiative and it can generally be described as being similar to a roundabout under signal control but with right-turn traffic movements from Berkshire Road moving through the roundabout to and from the ramps. This type of design means the risk of 90 degree collisions between vehicles is significantly reduced, leading to an

7 6 M a y 2 0 1 6

"Over the fourteen months of the Gateway project 55,000 cubic metres of C-Wise composted products were delivered to the project, which

equates to more than 1,000 semi trailer loads."

Do you struggle to increase tree survival rates?Do you have soil erosion issues?Do you want to increase your water efficiency?Do you want to achieve a superior aesthetic for your landscape design?Let C-Wise design a solution for your needs.

P (08) 9581 9582 F (08) 9581 9585 E [email protected] W cwise.com.auPO Box 2040, Mandurah WA 6210

A PARTNER YOU CAN RELY ON FOR LARGE SCALE PROJECTS

Page 77: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

C O N S T R U C T I O N

w w w. gatewaywa.com.au 7 7Roe Highway / Berkshire Road interchange at night time

“The innovative design at Roe Highway / Berkshire Road was prompted as a

Safe Systems initiative and it can generally be described as being similar to

a roundabout under signal control but with right-turn traffic movements from

Berkshire Road moving through the roundabout to and from the ramps.”

– Ilario Spagnolo, Senior Project Director

Page 78: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

GATEWAY WA

construction,” notes Spagnolo. “The Alliance worked closely with Main Roads Western Australia to deliver higher standards and implement traffic management not widely used before in Western Australia.” This included the use of truck mounted attenuators and the introduction of full road closures and contra flows, which increased worker safety.

A SUSTAINABLE OPTIONIn addition to safety, the Gateway WA project has also paid special

attention to sustainability, especially where the management of its 5.9 million tonnes of bulk materials and subsequent waste was concerned.

“The Alliance model on the Gateway WA project fostered fresh ideas for sustainability,” says Spagnolo. “The team looked at a wide range of perceived environmental risks that could potentially arise from construction. From there, a waste management strategy was put in place that set clear targets and goals for

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Leach Highway

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GATEWAY WA C O N S T R U C T I O N

w w w. gatewaywa.com.au 7 9

waste reduction from the outset. By defining what the project’s objectives were from the outset, it led to a shared vision of what waste minimisation would be on the project.”

The Gateway WA project utilised several methods of waste minimisation, such as using recycled materials like quarry crusher dust and construction and demolition waste (C&DW) as fill. The project also created an onsite licensed facility to treat acid

Shared path along Tonkin Highway

Number of employees at peak construction

1,000

Page 80: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

AN UNRIVALED IMPRESSION“From the outset, it was important to create a gateway to Perth, with an entry statement rivaling other cities in the world,” says Spagnolo. “Perth is often the first impression of Australia to international visitors, so we wanted to create something that was unique to the State and to

sulphate soil and degraded soil material, ensuring that its topsoil waste can be reused in other projects down the line instead of being sent to landfill.

“The sustainable reuse of degraded and other unsuitable soil has many benefits, particularly from an environmental perspective,” says Spagnolo. “As well as reducing the project’s impact of sending materials to landfill, it decreased Gateway WA’s reliance on imported fill brought in for the project. This, in turn, meant less vehicle haulage and traffic congestion, which is environmentally and socially beneficial.”

Gateway WA was also recognized for these efforts, chosen as the Business Category winner at the Waste Authority’s 2015 Infinity Awards for its commitment to waste minimisation on the project. The project has also garnered a prestigious certification of excellence for design by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia in 2014—one of only two road projects in Australia to earn that designation.

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GATEWAY WA

Tonkin Highway / Horrie Miller Drive / Kewdale Road interchange at night time

Page 81: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

C O N S T R U C T I O N

w w w. gatewaywa.com.au 8 1

the country—to express the dynamic, creative and rapidly evolving character of Western Australia.”

From its cutting-edge engineering to striking urban design, the Gateway WA project is helping Perth make its mark on the world. As Spagnolo adds, “The Gateway is something that the people of our State can be proud of for years to come.”

Company Information

P R O J E C T N A M E

Gateway WA Perth

Airport and Freight

Access Project

I N D U S T RY

Infrastructure

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Forrestfield, WA

F O U N D E D

2013

E M P L O Y E E S

1,000 at peak

construction

P R O J E C T B U D G E T

$1 billion

GATEWAY WA

Tonkin Highway / Horrie Miller Drive / Kewdale Road interchange at night time

Page 82: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

HEAD OF THE DIGITAL CLASSUniversity of New England’s latest technological innovations usher the university into a new era Written by: Eric Harding | Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 83: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

8 38 3

HEAD OF THE DIGITAL CLASSUniversity of New England’s latest technological innovations usher the university into a new era Written by: Eric Harding | Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 84: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

A university filled with the rich traditions of the small agricultural city of Armidale,

NSW, the University of New England (UNE) strives to deliver the best in both physical infrastructure and online education.

UNE has led the sector’s transition to online digital learning. As a university of about 22,000

students, approximately 18,000 take online courses from various parts of Australia and internationally.

“We actually have more online students in Western Sydney than we have on campus,” said UNE Director of IT, Robert Irving. “There’s a massive dependency on our technology for being able to educate and provide quality

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Page 85: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

services to them.”

THE BEG INN ING OF B IG CHANGESWhen Irving came to UNE as the director of the IT department in 2011, the quality of services needed an overhaul.

Since then UNE has implemented a program of updates to all aspect

of IT delivery in order to stay competitive with the world of online education .

“Completing that work has formed a large part of our mission for the past five years,” said Irving. “We have modernised everything from the fibre in the ground to the development of cutting-edge teaching and learning applications.

w w w. u n e . e d u . a u 8 5

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UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

UNE installed a new fibre-optic cable from Armidale to Narrabri over 300 kilometres to replace the one internet connection between its main campus and Australia’s academic research network.

“We’ve gone from being on a one gigabit piece of string to having very scalable, diverse network links,” said Irving. “That was the kind of core capability we needed to create. Until we had that in place, our other services couldn’t take advantage of that capacity and cloud services weren’t an option.”

In addition to installing such a robust connection, UNE chose

Extreme Networks for the network core and Palo Alto Networks as its main vendor for network security.

“We have protected our networks with the next generation of security, as well as a core network that had the throughput for the amount of traffic we were anticipating,” said Irving.

KICK ING OFF A NEW ER A OF TOOLSUNE implemented several key tools to streamline processes for both students and staff. A crucial component in this set is a new online application system run

Page 87: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

Copyright © 2016, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.

oracle.com/goto/universitiesor call 1300 366 386

20 of the 20 Top UniversitiesGet Better Results

Page 88: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Top 10 Priorities For Customer-Obsessed Companies In 2016 Reggie Bradford, Senior Vice President, Product Development, Oracle Companies that succeed in our customer-oriented economy will be those that are obsessed with engaging their constituencies personally, creatively, and interactively. Fortunately, the technology triumvirate that helped usher in the customer economy—mobile, social, and cloud—is also fundamental to creating such a customer-obsessed corporate culture.

Several of these recommendations aren’t siloed in sales or marketing but apply to overall business strategy. Company size doesn’t matter, but geography does: All business strategy should be oriented to the global digital community. And two major issues dogging digital business—privacy and security—will be considered more carefully.

1. Think: Mobility first! A quick statistic: Almost half of Americans who own a smartphone say they couldn’t live without it, according to Pew Research. People live their lives on mobile devices. Companies need to place mobility at the forefront of their strategic thinking and business development, particularly when it comes to interacting with customers.

2. Make personalization as personal as possible. Personalization means delivering a unique, informed, productive, one-to-one experience to each of your customers. It requires sophisticated real-time data collection, integration, and delivery capabilities. I use Google Waze, a mobile traffic app. Waze collects logistics data from its millions of subscribers. It tracks your route and can tell you, in real time, the fastest, least-congested way to reach your destination based on traffic patterns and problems reported by subscribers, such as accidents and police activity. It’s a personalization feedback loop, whereby information that you provide contributes to the overall intelligence of the service, which at the same time delivers meaningful data back to you.

With Waze, I give up a certain amount of my privacy, but I gain 20 minutes in my travel. It’s a trade-off more and more consumers are likely to make.

3. Serve customers better via the cloud. Cloud computing addresses the demands of modern digital business: agility, flexibility, and scalability. By using cloud services, companies can be more competitive, innovate faster, and bring customer-oriented products and services to market quicker than they would otherwise. And when the needs or interests of their customers change—and they will—the cloud enables companies to pivot sharply to address those shifts.

Conventional wisdom questioning the cloud’s security is eroding. Companies are starting to realize that cloud providers can put in place more comprehensive security measures than they themselves can manage or afford.

4. Integrate social media throughout the organization. What used to be thought of as two separate business areas, and two sharply defined marketing strategies—B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer)—is blending into one marketing thrust: B2P (business to people).

That’s because the technologies that we use in our personal lives—Facebook, messaging, document sharing—can be used to interact directly with customers, partners, and suppliers.

I submit that B2P should be an overall business strategy, with two facets. First, the components of social relationship management—listening, engagement, analytics—should be easy to use and available, so any part of the organization can tap into and manage corporate sentiment around the world. Second, the use of social media technology should be integrated into all areas of the organization, both external (sales, customer support) and internal (HR, recruiting, communication), so that social media is elemental to your business workflow and how you connect with customers.

Page 89: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

5. Exploit market influencers and user-generated content. It’s always been the case that certain people drive markets. Put another way: Not all Twitter users are created equal. It’s also true that 90% of customers say that their buying decisions are influenced by online reviews.

That’s why market “influencers” are an effective way to communicate with customers. Such influencers can aid customers in their decision-making, but also help ameliorate problems. A related strategy has to do with user-generated content (UGC). Unprofessional content is a staple of the internet (cat videos, anyone?), and such home-spun appeal attached to your brand is a potential viral blessing from heaven. Just make sure respect for privacy is part of the bargain.

6. Track the tsunami of images washing over social media. Tapping the torrent of images posted to Snapchat, Pinterest, Facebook, and other social media sites for indicators of brand sentiment is as important as “listening” to social media conversations, likely more so. Brand associations in images provide important real-world feedback, and found images can be valuable sources of UGC (see #5). Riding the global wave, more and more companies make images essential components of their marketing campaigns.

7. Take video seriously as a messaging strategy. Video views on Facebook are up—way up, according to Mark Zuckerberg. That’s of a piece with the overall increase in viewing video on digital devices, and supports Cisco’s prediction that by 2019 80% of consumer internet traffic will be video.

That trend, including the popularity of so-called short-form videos, especially on mobile devices, is a call to arms for marketers. Most organizations have a YouTube channel (you have one, right?), but is it being used for anything more creative than how-to videos?

8. Look for ways to tap the expanding Internet of Things. The IoT is real. Currently, more than 5 million “connected” devices represent the IoT, expanding to more than 20 billion devices by 2020, Gartner predicts. Such connected devices are being implanted literally where your customers live: home, car, farm, field, coffee shop, shopping mall, and so on. A company called Proteus is developing a “smart pill” that incorporates an ingestible sensor that records when medication is taken. The IoT represents a huge opportunity for companies to interact with customers in new, more direct, more affecting ways. It also represents a sizable data management and integration challenge—a recurring theme for customer-obsessed companies.

9. Create unified customer data profiles. Customer-obsessed companies must accumulate not only as much data about their customers as possible, but also organize and manage that data in discrete, accessible profiles.

One area to explore is an emerging cloud category known as data as a service (DaaS). Oracle Data Cloud, for instance, incorporates something like a billion consumer records from myriad data sources, including Acxiom, Dun & Bradstreet, and TransUnion. Oracle DaaS lets companies integrate their existing customer information, such as call center records and CRM data, with those external data sources, and provides access to that consolidated data source across all lines of business.

10. Empower your digital workforce. In this era of cell phones, laptops, and tablets, aren’t all companies digital? Ha! Sticking a toe in the water isn’t the same as diving into the deep end.

It’s only through the widespread and deeply entrenched use of today’s digital tools—mobile, social, and cloud—that companies will break down corporate silos, enable effective collaboration, and tap collective insights.

In terms of customer obsession, pick your metaphor: practice what you preach, eat your own dog food…. If the target market is digital customers (and it is), then only the organizations with a digital-first mentality and an empowered digital workforce will interact most effectively with that constituency.

– First appeared on Forbes Oracle Voice - http://www.forbes.com/sites/oracle.

Page 90: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

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through Oracle’s Service Cloud. “We were having a lot of students

that started the application process, but wouldn’t finish it. We wanted to make sure we made that an easy process for them.

“We identified the issues that take far too long to process applications, and addressed that with Oracle’s policy automation tools.” Irving said.

Utilising Oracle’s services, UNE has built a new application system that provides a very smooth entry

process into the university. “Since the new application system

has gone live, UNE has seen the number of completed applications increase by 5.8 percent, and the number of students seeking assistance drop by over half,” Irving explained.

“We have also provisioned Skype for Business for all of our staff and students.

“It’s an amazing platform that facilitates easy communication,

IT building

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w w w. u n e . e d u . a u 9 1

allows students to speak with staff members and collaborate on projects with other students, all without incurring telecommunication costs.”

According to the IT director, the idea of separate platforms for different modes of communications does not meet the client’s needs.

“You don’t want to think about how to connect with people, whether by message or voice or video call,” Irving said. “You want one platform that does it all, that lets you turn on extra capabilities as you need them right there while you’re

“SINCE THE NEW APPLICATION SYSTEM HAS GONE LIVE, UNE HAS SEEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLETED APPLICATIONS INCREASE BY 5.8 PERCENT, AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SEEKING ASSISTANCE DROP BY OVER HALF.”– UNE Director of IT, Robert Irving

connected. You can go from an IM session with one colleague to a full video conference with hundreds of people in one click.”

“Microsoft is creating some amazing new functionality; we are particularly excited about the real time translation services coming online from Microsoft this year,” said Irving. “This will be fantastic in assisting our international students in a variety of ways. You’re not going to see these types of capabilities in your Cisco VoIP system any time soon.”

E D U C AT I O N

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CSA and University of New England have started creating the future of distance education utilising the power of Microsoft’s Skype for Business collaboration technology. Already students can use Xbox consoles, or other preferred devices, to ‘attend’ lectures

remotely rather than being physically present in the classroom. 

22,000 students, 10 locations, 1 network. It just works.

Transforming IT to Transform Education

1300 306 071 csa.com.au

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E D U C AT I O N

w w w. u n e . e d u . a u 9 3

CLEAR ING THE OBSTACLESAmong the biggest obstacle in revamping its IT department was the large amount of work UNE had to do all at once. While the University’s aims for digital dominance would have been far-fetched five years ago, UNE is now in a good position to reach that goal according to Irving. To achieve upgrades on a relatively short timeline, UNE determined the ideal technical delivery order, starting with core network installation, laying fibre-optic cable, and establishing a

CSA and University of New England have started creating the future of distance education utilising the power of Microsoft’s Skype for Business collaboration technology. Already students can use Xbox consoles, or other preferred devices, to ‘attend’ lectures

remotely rather than being physically present in the classroom. 

22,000 students, 10 locations, 1 network. It just works.

Transforming IT to Transform Education

1300 306 071 csa.com.au

Like many businesses, Universities, schools TAFE’s are challenged by funding pressures, compliance and increased competition. This, coupled with the need to provide a diverse range of services to many users in an always connected environment has senior IT management seeking trusted guidance. Since 1986 CSA has grown to become Australia’s leading integrator of risk-tolerant IT solutions. CSA’s unique approach can provide CIO’s certainty by delivering a holistic strategy, aligned with your institution’s objectives. This strategy can be taken from concept to completion through the execution of prioritised programs of work. CSA can provide strategic advice, practical assistance and tools to help you achieve your vision. Whether Cloud Computing, Mobility, Network Security, Software or other IT needs, CSA is a trusted provider in Education. Our reputation is built upon the strength of our experience, specialist knowledge and continuous learning. Our passion is to see you enable change and fulfil your potential.

Website: www.csa.com.au

SUPPLIER PROFILE

state-of-the-art wireless network. “We are now working towards

moving from a wired to a wireless network for all of our computing devices, with some great savings to be achieved in the edge network and reducing complexity in the overall networking environment,” he said.

With 170 buildings on campus, UNE now has a core network with capacity reaching far beyond current needs.

“Our network capacity won’t be an issue for this university for decades,” said Irving.

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platforms and applications.”

SUPPORTING THE STAFFUNE was voted as providing the best IT service for students four out

“I think that’s what separates us. It’s been a real challenge to do it all in such a short timeframe, and at the same time, we’ve now built this really fantastic infrastructure that integrates smartly with the

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Dixson library

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w w w. u n e . e d u . a u 9 5

of the past five years in Australia and New Zealand. As a leading online education provider, providing the best support is critical to student success, this is something UNE is very good at. With a mature service desk team comprised of members with 5-10 years experience, the staff knows UNE’s IT services inside and out.

UNE brought in an IT trainer to help with the adoption of all new technologies, and is now working on a specialised training program for

Skype for Business and OneNote. In addition, UNE is taking training for Microsoft to the next level. With the help of Microsoft’s academic trainers, UNE will implement high-intensity training in an increased effort to heighten their technology capability.

“We’ve got people using the platforms and they’re doing all right with it, but we think we can achieve a lot more,” said Irving. “Our goal is to achieve digital leadership through our staff and students, and

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w w w. u n e . e d u . a u 9 7

the technology enables them to do this.”

UNE is in the process of replacing its home-built identity management system with Microsoft ForeFront Identity Manager, which is a strategic move as the university continues to adopt more and more Microsoft technology.

“We see that being very significant in how we affect a lot of our business processes,” said Irving. “We know it will translate into better digital services for our students and our staff.”

Irving said it is a project that began at the beginning of 2016, and will run for the next 24 months.

“The technology part of this IAM project could be achieved far more quickly but we want to

ensure the improvements are achieved and cemented within our business processes. These are rare opportunities to make business changes, and we have to make them count,” said Irving.

AT THE FORE OF INNOVATION While UNE’s online application system by Oracle went live in March 2015, the institution is looking to find ways to bring its enrollment system to mobile devices to make the application experience more seamless.

UNE will shift its infrastructure to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Currently with two data centres in Armidale and one in Sydney, UNE will soon have no need to manage

“OUR GOAL IS TO ACHIEVE DIGITAL LEADERSHIP THROUGH OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS, AND THE TECHNOLOGY ENABLES THEM TO DO THIS.”– UNE Director of IT, Robert Irving

E D U C AT I O N

Page 98: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

hardware comes to end-of-life, it will move out to IaaS,” said Irving.

“We have a strategic plan to achieve digital dominance by 2020. That will mean taking a very different view of what a traditional IT department does in a university, transforming it to a market leader

9 8 M a y 2 0 1 6

its own infrastructure. Instead, the university will move to IaaS and Platform as a Service (PaaS) so UNE can focus on its application layers, which are its key areas for differentiation.

“In our mind, that’s probably more of a two to three year project, so as

UNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

Smart Farm new building

Page 99: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

w w w. u n e . e d u . a u 9 9

based on innovations.“This certainly isn’t a paint-by-numbers

strategy, it will be a quest where innovation and change happens,” he said.

“We’re in an exciting place in terms of what we can do in the future. We really do have the platform to build off, which will take us a long way into the future.”

Company Information

N A M E

University of New England

I N D U S T RY

Education

E S TA B L I S H E D

1938

C A M P U S

Armidale, NSW

Australia

E M P L O Y E E S

1,400

S T U D E N T S

22,000

E D U C AT I O NUNIVERSITY OF NEW ENGLAND

Page 100: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

MAKING MOVES FOR ITS CUSTOMERS

The city’s provider of metropolitan train services, Sydney Trains makes customers the priority

Written by: Eric Harding Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 101: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

1 0 11 0 1

MAKING MOVES FOR ITS CUSTOMERS

The city’s provider of metropolitan train services, Sydney Trains makes customers the priority

Written by: Eric Harding Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 102: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Sydney Trains provides train services throughout the Sydney CBD and

metropolitan area, transporting about a million customers each weekday and over 300 million people annually.

As a result, Sydney Trains has altered its philosophy to making the customer the top priority.

CUSTOMERS AT THE CENTRESydney Trains make the customer the centre of everything it does, by delivering the best possible service to the people.

“In the past, our procurement revolved around stakeholders. Now, we’re moving to a much more customer-centric model,” said Sydney Trains chief procurement officer Mike Blanchard.

“Delivery is based around a customer charter. We’re saying - this is our promise to you as an internal service provider, and this is what we need from you to help us do our job in the best possible way, and therefore give you the outcomes that you want.”

Sydney Trains has been an excellent example of procurement delivery through best in class

SYDNEY TRAINS

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4

2

OUR PROMISE TO YOU

1 We will never compromise on safety - it is our number one prioritySafety first

Your team We will work in partnership with you to make decisions and make sure that our priorities, expectations and goals align with yours

3 We will smile, be friendly and listen to your needs as we are passionate about delivering your procurement outcomes

Make your day

Open andupfront

We will deliver a personalised service, while always acting with integrity and being open, honest, courteous

5 We will share our knowledge and be accountable for the provision of compliant procurement services of the highest quality

Make it easy (to do the right thing)

Strategic Procurement CUSTOMER CHARTER

JB000162.0216

4

2

HELP US TO HELP YOU

1 Give us as much information about your enquiry as soon as you canEngage early

Participate in the spirit of cooperation

Work closely with us, collaborate and respond to our requests in a timely, efficient manner

3 Give us feedback about our service and delivery, while being courteous and respectful

Be open and upfront

Stay informed

Keep up-to-date with procurement policies and advise us regularly if there are any changes to your requirements

SYDNEY TRAINS

Page 104: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

policy and governance processes. In fact, the company has NSW Government’s highest accreditation for procurement, and was the first organisation in Australasia to get corporate certification from the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), a United Kingdom-based organisation that deals with training and accreditation.

A current initiative, Project LEAP,

is all about moving from being one of the top organisations in procurement policy practice to moving toward leveraging early engagement for accelerated outcomes through the delivery of procurement best practice.

This project moves to a more customer-centric model, and fits with Sydney Trains’ overall end-customer model to deliver the best customer service.

SYDNEY TRAINS

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HOLIDAY

Shorter, original concept FINALIZED A CONTRACT, APPROVED AN INVOICE, ASKED MY SUPPLIER HOW HE ENJOYED HIS HOLIDAY.

IT’S SIMPLE. IT’S DONE. IT’S SAP ARIBA.SAP Ariba makes even the most intricate business-to-business transactions simple. So you can get everything you need for work from the companies you want to work with.

For more, go to ariba.com

SYDNEY TRAINS

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SUPPLIER PROFILE

THE DIGITAL SUPPLY CHAIN The world today is a different place. There are officially more mobile devices than people. And with increasing frequency, we use these devices to manage our lives. To shop. To pay for things. To find restaurants and hail cabs. To network with our friends and family. Many of these same technologies have made their way into the enterprise. And they are transforming the way we work. Business networks, for instance, are changing the way we discover, connect and collaborate with our trading partners. They are giving us access to insights and intelligence that allow us to make better, more informed decisions. They are, in essence, transforming procurement as we know it.

Digitizing the Supply Chain Technology has driven a new wave of productivity by digitizing key financial and business processes and enabling collaboration across the organization. Best-in-class organizations are fueling the next wave, leveraging business networks to extend these processes and systems beyond the four walls of the enterprise and create a shared community of partners executing improved, fully automated, and coordinated processes in a more informed way than in the past.

Enabling New Processes Many companies have taken steps to improve the efficiency and

effectiveness of their supply chain operations by automating key processes such as procurement, orders, invoicing and payment. And with good reason. Research shows that companies who have embraced digital strategies are seeing real value, boosting revenue more than nine percent, market valuation more than 12 percent and profitability by over 26 percent. Led by procurement, many of these companies are taking things to the next level and enabling new processes that drive more collaborative, intelligent and transparent ways of operating. Processes like dynamic discounting that allow them to secure discounts that can be reinvested in research and development and funding to expand their business. Contingent workforce management through which they can identify and manage highly-specialized resources needed to develop that next-generation product. Or network-based spot buying through which they can improve the purchasing process for low-value, non-sourced items and eliminate maverick buying.

Running Simpler Personal networks from Facebook to Twitter have made it simple for consumers to shop, share and consume in new and more informed ways. Business networks like SAP Ariba provide an equally easy and scalable way for companies to discover, connect and collaborate with the trading

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partners and resources they need to operate in today’s dynamic world. Leading procurement organizations across both the public and private sectors are tapping into this network to create a simple, consumer-like experience where with just a few clicks, they can shop for goods and services, place and manage orders and pay for them electronically, view and manage spend across all major categories through a single, connected platform.

Getting Smarter Like their social counterparts, business networks house incredible amounts of insights and data. Best-in-class procurement organizations are unleashing the power of this information to optimize their supply chain decisions and accelerate innovation and growth. They are accessing performance ratings on potential trading partners along with recommendations from the community to determine who to do business with or detect risk in the supply chain. Or combining in-the-moment purchasing data with historic trends to predict stock outs before they happen and direct replenishment. Or gaining real-time insights into invoice approval status to more efficiently manage cash.

Collaborating to Win Fueled by digital technologies, procurement is taking the lead in integrating business processes and collaborating across functions in

entirely new ways that drive value. CPOs, for instance, are engaged in helping to manage the financial supply chain, turning payables into a profit center because they have real-time visibility into whether an invoice is okay to pay and whether it has it been matched against purchase orders and contracts. Or extending days payable outstanding to improve the overall balance sheet while at the same time offering early payment discounts to suppliers because to mitigate both financial and supply risk. In today’s global and connected economy, digital supply chains are the onramp to innovation and success. To be among the winners, companies need to get on the highway and go fast. And procurement needs to steer them there and do the driving. Far from simply executing purchases, procurement leaders must reimagine the supply chain. Develop digital strategies that allow them to proactively evolve ahead of the competition. Employ comprehensive solutions that support the entire source-to-pay process and create value for all parties involved in it. And not only think about the future, but see it and shape it to their advantage. In doing so, they can deliver their organizations to new worlds of excellence.

For more information, please visit ariba.com >>

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RED TAPE

Much shorter, past tense

IT’S SIMPLE. IT’S DONE. IT’S SAP ARIBA.SAP Ariba makes even the most intricate business-to-business transactions simple. So you can get everything you need for work from the companies you want to work with.

For more, go to ariba.com

CUT THROUGH THE RED TAPE, POSTED THE ORDER, CONTINUED THE MOST IMPORTANT MEETING OF THE DAY.

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IT’S SIMPLE. IT’S DONE. IT’S ARIBA.Ariba makes even the most intricate business-to-business transactions simple. So you can get everything you need for work from the companies you want to work with.

For more, go to ariba.com

PLACED A CUSTOM ORDER FOR FRENCH LACE WITH A LOCAL, ORGANIC SUPPLIER. VOILÀ!

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“In the end, we’re only as good as the service we deliver to our customers,” said Blanchard. “Project LEAP is centred on getting feedback from customers through workshops and face-to-face interviews and then delivering the improvements to make it easy to do the right thing.”

“Value for money doesn’t necessarily mean the cheapest,

but the best overall value for the outcome required,” he added.

EARLY B IRD GETS THE WORMAs chief procurement officer, Blanchard is responsible for ensuring all of the spending is done within government guidelines. This is in addition to meeting a larger ethical demand of social

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COMPANY NAME

everything else will potentially cause issues to the engagement with a third-party supplier. If you react and do things on a short-term lifecycle because of the pressure of delivery timelines, then you’re not necessarily going to make the best long-term decisions.”

Although most companies prefer doing work with the government

stewardship, to ensure the money provided is delivered in the most effective way through third-party contractors.

According to Blanchard, the key to successful procurement is early engagement.

“Poor planning promotes poor performance,” said Blanchard. “If you don’t get the planning right,

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because of its legislation and policy to make sure it pays on time, there are still obstacles to vendor engagement for Sydney Trains.

A big challenge that many businesses face is the funding cycle for major projects. Sydney Trains gets financial approval at the beginning of each financial year; this can at times put some pressure on

the ability to engage the market.“Under NSW government

guidelines, engaging the market without funding is not permitted,” said Blanchard. “To overcome this for frequently used goods and services, we put panels in place, as traditional open market engagement is time consuming and labour intensive. This way, we can react

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much more quickly to the business demands.”

Even so, organising these panels is not always easy to do, Blanchard points out. He doesn’t use the term supplier-relationship management process, which he views as an overused term, but instead supplier-development management (SDM).

“To break down potential barriers, you give the branding of that role a different name,” Blanchard said. “You must look at the overall relationship like it’s an umbrella over all the interactions, and not just the contractual relationship engagements with key suppliers.”

Blanchard said that supplier-enabled innovation is something that will increase through the delivery of a successful SDM programme.

BUILDING RELATIONSH IPSAlso a successful long-time rugby coach, Blanchard applies many of the same leadership skills to his management philosophies. Blanchard describes himself as a builder of high-performing teams, something he has done since the age of 24.

He believes building the best company is based upon getting the basics right, such as receiving the highest accreditation, setting a global benchmark, and then building and developing a team based on competency while delivering on performance promises.

“It doesn’t matter which business you’re in,” said Blanchard. “When you talk about people, you talk

“In the past, our procurement revolved around stakeholders. Now, we’re moving that to a much more customer-centric model.”– Sydney Trains chief procurement officer Mike Blanchard

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SYDNEY TRAINS

they way you want to be treated yourself, you’ll find that is what authentic leadership is all about,” said Blanchard.

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTSWithin the supplier development management program, Sydney Trains has an innovation improvement tracker. Blanchard

about teams.”Blanchard has always had three

mottos within a team: Make a lot of decisions, because the more you make, the better you get at making them; always employ people better than you, because it makes your job easier; and finally, don’t let ego get in the way.

“If you have all of those three mindsets, and you treat people

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“THE OVERALL SYSTEM WE ARE LOOKING AT ADOPTING PROVIDES AN END-TO-END PROCESS THAT WILL ALLOW THE COMPANY TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON BOTH EMPLOYEE, AS WELL AS SUPPLIER INITIATED IDEAS FOR INNOVATION”– Sydney Trains chief procurement officer Mike Blanchard

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SYDNEY TRAINS

has been searching for ways to filter, capture and commercialise innovation in a public sector agency, and this tracker is one element of enabling this.

“The overall system we are looking at adopting provides an end-to-end process that will allow the company to follow through on both employee, as well as supplier initiated ideas for innovation,” said

Blanchard.Additionally, Sydney Trains

has worked with the customer environment division to create the Click & Collect platform, where users can order groceries online for pick up at their final railway station destination.

Retail giant Woolworths is the partner for the first trial of the program, with plans to convert

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Blanchard also mentioned future innovation and changes planned for the Sydney Rail Network.

In the future, Sydney Metro will use the first driverless trains in Australia to deliver services. The fleet of trains will be fitted with new technology to provide automated train control and will integrate with the signalling systems, in order to move toward a much safer environment with trains running closely together. Current

the contract to long-term if all testing goes well. Once the trial is completed and evaluated, Sydney Trains will explore the possibility of rolling out the initiative on a permanent basis.

“They’ve designed lockers that have frozen cabinets and cold drawers so you can literally head home at night and pick your goods up,” said Blanchard. “So that’s quite a big innovation.”

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signalling systems all operate slightly differently, which puts limitations on how closely trains can run together.

“The system will allow you to move to more frequent, ‘step up and go’ metro type services rather than having to use timetables to know when you can catch your train,” Blanchard said. At the same time, Sydney Trains will be upgrading its network to integrate seamlessly with the new metro operation. It’s all part of Sydney Trains’ plan to serve its customers better.

Company Information

N A M E

Sydney Trains

I N D U S T RY

Transportation

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Chippendale, NSW

Australia

F O U N D E D

2013

E M P L O Y E E S

10,000

I N C O M E

$3,1 BNi

SYDNEY TRAINS

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VISION

BACKED BY EXPERIENCEWe take a look inside the company’s vision to build the next

wave of energy solutions, products and power systemsWritten by: Robert Spence Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 120: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Yungngora Solar Plant

H aving dominated the distributed power generation and emergency

power markets for many years, MPower is now building Australia’s renewable future.

The expertise and alliances developed over many years have positioned MPower well to tackle emerging markets within the renewable energy sector.

IN A NUT SHELLMPower has grown from small but diversified beginnings to become a multi-faceted group with various businesses within different niches of the power industry.

“If you look at everything we do, everything is about distributed power,” said MPower Managing Director Anthony Csillag. “We take a lot of pride in where we come from, and it’s exciting to see the scope of projects we’ve been able to lead, with a very interesting and bright future ahead.”

MPower specialises in three distinct segments; solar power, energy storage, and sophisticated power systems for the oil and gas and mining industries.

S O L A R P OW E RMPower builds solar farms from small remotes communities through to megawatt (MW) scale projects.

MPower’s vertical integration of the solar industry includes project development, engineering, procurement and construction

MPOWER

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Yungngora Solar Plant

(EPC) through to operations and maintenance for the life of the power-generating asset. Its scale of vertical integration has proven beneficial to many of its clients. Having completed a 1.7MW solar farm for Rio Tinto, MPower is nearing completion of a 5MW solar

farm in Samoa for Solar for Samoa.

E N E RGY S T O R AG EMPower has led the energy storage revolution in Australia.

Its defining moment was solving the problems associated with maximising the amount of solar

MPOWER E N E R G Y

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MPOWER

energy market segment with its residential energy storage units (RES); the results of which have now been published by AusNet Services. By storing energy generated from solar panels MPower can essentially time shift when solar power is used, even at night.

MPower recently completed and commissioned a large scale lithium-ion energy storage system for the University of Queensland Gatton Campus. The University’s research will essentially stress test

power that could be integrated into remote indigenous communities to reduce fossil fuel consumption. MPower’s solution was to support the solar power with stored energy through periods of cloud cover. The solar power became more stable and predictable facilitating larger amounts of solar power as an overall percentage of the off grid power plant.

Utilising this patented remote community technology, MPower solved problems in the residential

Established in 2001 Energy Contracts has developed and designed leading edge containerised substation solutions for the resources and power distribution sector.Energy Storage - Solar Inverter Switchrooms - Temporary Power

www.energycontracts.co.nz

10 Omega St, Albany, 0632, Auckland, New ZealandTelephone: +64 (9) 415 3311

LIFE CYCLE COST REDUCTION - ENERGY MANAGEMENT - CONTAINERISED POWER SOLUTIONS

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MPOWER

the advances in lithium-ion battery technology in preparation for the full scale commercialisation of large scale energy storage.

P OW E R SYS T E M S MPower’s founding core capability of distributed power and emergency power in the commercial sector has enabled it to tackle the more critical and technically advanced oil and gas and mining markets. Oil and

Gas operations emergency power systems can best be defined under a famous NASA quote “Failure is not an option.” In recent years MPower has provided emergency power packaged solutions to the likes of Woodside for its NR2 Project, Chevron for its Barrow Island Project and to INPEX for its current Ichthys projects.

To understand how and why MPower is in the market segments

University of Queensland - Inside Energy Storage Unit

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Inpex Engineers

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it is today, it is important to understand the beginnings where its ASX listed parent TAG made strategic synergistic acquisitions.

One of the strategic acquisitions was Westpower Rectifiers which specialised in Direct Current (DC) applications, the acquisition to supplement its own battery distribution business. The use of DC was in decline due to the evolution of Alternating Current (AC) inverter technology, primarily used in variable speed control and UPS Power systems. With this decline DC applications were predominantly DC traction for rail, battery chargers and high current rectifiers used in water purification and electrowinning metal recovery applications. The DC expertise in the market declined; however, MPower continued in these and other unique DC markets growing its expertise.

Solar power Photo Voltaic (PV) technology produces DC power, MPower was thus well positioned to meet the needs of the PV market and develop advanced technologies. These

technologies included its patented grid stabilisation system (GSS) introduced earlier. The GSS is being used in remote communities to maximise the amount of PV embedded in local off grid power systems by compensating for power dips associated with cloud cover. This same technology was used to develop its residential energy storage (RES) unit being successfully trialed in the AusNet Services network.

Advancements and developments continue such as its current project for the Karratha Airport on grid solar farm. MPower is providing a solution for the smooth ramp

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down of the solar farm power onto the Horizon Power grid to prevent shock load drop off associated with intermittent cloud cover. The enhancement being engaged here is the integration of cloud predicting technology. This will enable MPower to start ramping down solar power before any cloud arrives, using a normal unsupported power ramp down that minimises the requirement for stored energy support. The net result is a more cost effective solution, due to

WE DESIGNED AND BUILT ONE OF THE HIGHEST DENSITY DIESEL POWER SYSTEMS FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT. IT WAS DESIGNED AND STRUCTURALLY BUILT TO WITHSTAND AND OPERATE IN CATEGORY 5 CYCLONES.

– Anthony Csillag, Managing Director of MPower Projects

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minimising the battery support required.

LEADER IN RENEWABLESWhat makes MPower different to other companies is how it combines new and old technologies with a skilled and experienced workforce to create products and power systems that go the distance. Add state-of-the-art engineering and project management facilities, and MPower is equipped to deliver

Number of employees depending on projects

on hand

150-300

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supplying a 32MW power station that was originally meant to be temporary but is still operating today.

“Given the challenge of limited space for the power plant, we also had to build it so it could operate continuously in emergency conditions, even in a cyclone,” said Csillag.

“We designed and built one of the highest density diesel power

on all manner of power related projects, stamped with a degree of sophistication that is unparalleled in the region.

“The pioneering spirit motivates our team. Anyone that works for us is not bored — nothing is mundane,” said Csillag.

This pioneering spirit can be seen in multiple projects headed up by MPower. The Chevron Gorgon project for MPower involved

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MPOWER

Gorgon Project completed

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continually sources and support talent from these institutions. As such, MPower has relationships with local educational institutions, from selective high schools through universities. MPower also supports a trade-based workforce and an apprentice scheme with ongoing training programs that have seen young recruits progress within the organisation through the organisation.

systems for that particular project. It was designed and structurally built to withstand and operate in Category 5 cyclones.”

Another example of MPower’s ever improving technology of renewable energy includes a 200 KW solar farm in the Kimberley region in Western Australia. Contracted to design and install the solar farm for the indigenous community of Yungngora, MPower delivered on all its promises. The community now receives roughly 25 percent of its power from solar.

“Completing the Yungngora project leaves us with a sense of satisfaction, not only for helping remote communities become less reliant on fossil fuels, but also having an Australian-based MPower engineering team continue to progress this important technology,” Csillag said.

CULTURE OF EMPOWERMENT Much of MPower’s success can be attributed to the learning culture it strives to create. As such, MPower has affiliations with all major universities, and

MPOWER

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Keeping the power on, hundreds of kilometres from land

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“We empower our young people early on and tend to have high employee retention rates, which help to attract a lot of applicants through word-of-mouth,” said Csillag. “We’re proud of our employees and it’s good to see their careers and ambitions being fulfilled.”

On the other end of the spectrum, MPower has assembled an army of talented veteran employees, most of which have been with the company for 10 years or more.

“We tailor programs around new and present employees, with everything from electrical to mechanical programs,” Csillag said.

“Our workforce is very ambitious and we want to watch them grow.”

ON THE HOR IZONWhat’s next for MPower? MPower is working on energy storage applications from esidential energy storage (RES) to utility scale storage systems.

“With the potential proliferation of the electric car, power networks could see peaks in power consumption that may not be accommodated. These peaks occurring when people arrive home from work docking and recharging their vehicles. To test the network’s capability to accommodate for

“WE TAILOR PROGRAMS AROUND NEW AND PRESENT EMPLOYEES, WITH EVERYTHING FROM ELECTRICAL TO MECHANICAL PROGRAMS.”– Anthony Csillag, Managing Director of MPower Projects

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MPOWER

this surge, we installed RES units with three kilowatts of solar on 10 different residential homes, and designed the system so it could be controlled and interrogated remotely from a central location,” said Csillag.

The test revealed that MPower could limit the residential demand by charging the batteries during the day with solar. Then, when the power limit of the residence was exceeded, it would be taken from the RES unit, instead of the grid.

“We’ve gone through different stages with trials and modifications. Conceptually all remote energy storage sites could be mapped and managed from a central location to see how much storage each resident has and or needs, not just the 10 sites trialed but whole communities,” said Csillag.

According to Csillag, many of the power network’s small power lines — known as SWER lines — have never been upgraded. While communities have grown significantly in size so has the demand for power. The average power demand is generally accommodated however not peak

power; another application for MPower’s RES unit known as peak power lopping, a natural extension of the developments to date.

“Moving forward, we’re continually looking at all potential usage of energy storage in the renewable energy sector and other markets,” said Csillag. “And

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MPOWER

we’re not just looking — we’re trialing new applications and putting ideas into motion.”

“We expect to make announcements later this year of the successful integration of a seamless off grid project where the plant can switch between diesel engine generated power to 100 percent solar power maintaining protection systems, an Australian and potentially world first application.”

Company Information

I N D U S T RY

Energy

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

New South Wales

Australia

F O U N D E D

1984

E M P L O Y E E S

Variable 150-300

depending on projects

on hand

R E V E N U E

$70M

M A N A G E M E N T

Managing Director MPower Projects: Anthony Csillag

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Narellan Pools has developed into Australia’s leading swimming pool manufacturer, and has plenty of room for growth

Written by: Eric Harding Produced by: Vince Kielty

A DEEPER

DIVE

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Narellan Pools has developed into Australia’s leading swimming pool manufacturer, and has plenty of room for growth

Written by: Eric Harding Produced by: Vince Kielty

Page 136: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

Narellan Pools has been Australian made and Australian owned for over

40 years; however, the company’s growth and expansion plans are limitless.

An enterprise that has been in the fibreglass glass swimming pool sales and installation sector since 1971, Narellan Pools has grown into a leader in the industry. Due to its proficiency in manufacturing, construction, sales, quality and innovative approach, Narellan Pools are desired in markets all over the world.

“We’re continually designing, manufacturing and releasing new products,” said Narellan Pools COO Peter Baily. “We think we’ve got a swimming pool that will suit any of our potential clients’ needs.”

GLOBAL TAKEOVERNarellan Pools has developed into an iconic in-ground fibreglass swimming pool enterprise, and is looking for more franchisees to complete its roll-out across Australia. They are also expanding

their international operations now with a permanent presence in North America and other markets being assessed for potential.

“The way in which we will grow in various markets around the world will differ based on market dynamics,” said Baily. “Some of those will be through wholly own subsidiaries and some will be through partnering with others locally.”

At the moment, Narellan Pools has hit a tipping point, as it has

NARELLAN POOLS

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Federation Pools

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Our franchise inquiries are at an all-time high. We’re confident within the next couple years that we will fill all of those territories.”– Narellan Pools Chief Operating Officer (COO) Peter Baily

Symphony Pool - Blue Azurite

Federation Pools

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NARELLAN POOLS

already achieved some exciting growth across all business channels.

MEETING THE CLIENT’S NEEDSInstalling a swimming pool into a backyard is a complex process. From the colour of the pool shell to the various layers used, Baily believes Narellan Pools produces

the best quality due to the materials used and how they’re applied. Not only are the pools designed to look good, but are also built for supreme strength and durability.

Narellan Pools has introduced several new pool designs to the market in the past year, including three new pool ranges.

“For every pool you make, you have to create a mold of it,” Baily

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Symphony & Harmony Pools

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said. “Also, when you put a range out, it’s not just one size. It’s for all sizes, and we manufacture all of them at our production facilities. It’s a significant investment.”

Its new Panama lap pool that is 2.5 metres wide is built for exercise and fits conveniently in smaller backyards, while the new Grandeur pool is 4.2 metres wide for luxury backyards, and is enhanced by its

large, elegant staircase entry.From a manufacturing point of

view, Narellan Pools has received ISO 9001 certification, which is the internationally recognized standard for quality management systems (QMS). It is the most widely used QMS standard in the world, with more than 1.1 million certificates issued to organisations in 178 countries.

Symphony & Harmony Pools

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“The range of pool designs, colours, shapes and sizes is the best in the industry,” said Baily. “There’s a real focus on quality in everything we do.”

GROW TH UNDERPINNED BY INNOVATION AND QUALIT YAccording to Baily, Narellan Pools separates itself from the competition through its innovative products as well as its focus on quality in its products, systems and

people.Therefore, there is a major

emphasis on bringing the right people onboard to sell and install pools.

“When you put a pool in your backyard, it’s a big investment and it’s a significant disruption to your property,” said Baily. “We take potential clients through our process so they can be confident that they will be serviced well and looked after, not only during the installation process, but into the

For all enquiries, contact Scott Seeney:Ph. 0418 163 519 E. [email protected]

Family owned and operated transport company since 1958.

Our family has been involved in transporting swimming pools for Narellan Pools across

NSW, VIC & SA since 1988.

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future as well.With its head office in Sydney,

Narellan Pools manufactures in Picton, just south of Sydney, and at Yatala in Queensland, with stock yards in South Australia, Victoria and Queensland.

Since the product is difficult to transport due to its large size, Narellan Pools uses a racking system to export stacks of pools around the world.

While it’s not an easy process, Narellan Pools has perfected it over

the years.Now, the company’s primary

focus is shifting to establishing and setting up new manufacturing facilities across the globe as opposed to exporting pools.

“It just easier in the long term,” said Baily. “When a market gets to a certain size, it just makes sense to start manufacturing as opposed to exporting. We can get closer to the client, we can move faster and we can potentially save some money along the way.”

M A N U F A C T U R I N G

All fibreglass pools are built at Narellan Pools at its facilities in Yatala and in Picton (pictured)

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INVESTING IN PEOPLENarellan Pools puts a big emphasis on high-performance teams and environments. A major area of investment for Narellan Pools is the expansion of its team.

“It’s ensuring we’ve got the team that is able to reach our growth aspirations,” said Baily.

At its core, Narellan Pools has a desire to make a difference through giving back to the communities in

which it operates, both in Australia and internationally.

Narellan Pools’ roots are as a family owned enterprise; under the current leadership the company has transitioned into a thriving mature business with a global focus.,

“It’s a very exciting time for people to be involved with the business,” said Baily. “We’re having those sorts of conversations with new team members when we bring them in.

Narellan Pools Conference 2015

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M A N U F A C T U R I N G

There’s an opportunity to develop the brand in the rest of the world, and potentially spend time overseas to be part of that growth.”

As part of a franchise channel, Narellan Pools has a very comprehensive training program for team members and ongoing training for the entire franchise network. An established brand, Narellan Pools not only comes with recognition in the marketplace; it is backed by great leadership, strong operating systems, successful franchisees and powerful marketing.

“When it comes to training for team members, we look at a development plan for each individual that fits the needs of

themselves and the business,” said Baily. “We look at an arrangement based on where their potential lies.”

MORE POOLS FOR THE FUTURENarellan Pools’ future plan for expansion is centred around the company’s growth in Australia and across the globe. Western Australia

“The range of pool designs, colours, shapes and sizes is the best in the industry. There’s a real focus on quality in everything we do.”

– Narellan Pools Chief Operating Officer (COO) Peter Baily

Page 144: Business Review Australia & Asia May 2016

discuss the industry, what needs to be improved, the changes the company is on the verge of making as well as new products on the horizon.

“Our franchise inquiries are at

is a target domestic market, while the company intends to build on its thriving businesses in New Zealand and Canada as well.

Narellan Pools gathers its facility managers each month to

1 4 4 M a y 2 0 1 6

NARELLAN POOLS

Madeira Pool - Blue Azurite

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M A N U F A C T U R I N G

w w w. n a re l l a n p o o l s . c o m . a u 1 4 5

an all-time high,” said Baily. “We’re confident within the next couple years that we will fill all remaining territories across Australia. The future is bright for the business and it is the perfect time for people who want to build a great business to join the brand. ”

Company Information

I N D U S T RY

Manufacturing and

Construction

H E A D Q U A RT E R S

Baulkham Hills, NSW

Australia

F O U N D E D

1971

T E A M M E M B E R S

200

R E V E N U E

$100 million annual

turnover

M A N A G E M E N T

Managing Director

and Owner:

Chris Meyer

COO:

Peter Baily

NARELLAN POOLS

Madeira Pool - Blue Azurite