Mining and industrial equipment electronic part procurement challenges are being addressed through products and solutions supplier RS South Africa’s three-tier priority procurement process, which simplifies part sourcing and mitigates significant delivery delays, said RS South Africa sales director Erick Wessels to Mining Weekly at the Electra Mining Africa (EMA) expo in early September.

Among an array of other components, RS South Africa provides parts essential to keeping motors and drives used by miners, operational and running efficiently.

Procurement offices at mining operations often focus heavily on large, critical items such as dump trucks, while leaving smaller parts, such as maintenance and repair operations, less prioritised, he noted.

This has resulted in inefficiencies, as engineers struggle to source smaller parts, when required.

“Engineers have needs, they have requirements in terms of spare parts, and between engineers and buyers, they struggle to source products and find the right supplier,” said Wessels.

Ensuring items are readily available in inventory enables engineers to quickly source parts, speeding up both procurement and delivery times, which helps keep operations running, he added.

RS South Africa assists in this service by offering an aggregated sourcing solution, ensuring timely delivery of products to remote mines by categorising parts into A, B and C priorities.

Critical A parts, which are the most essential for mining operations, are recommended to be kept in the mine’s own inventory; while for B and C items, RS works with clients to analyse component use and determines optimal stock levels.

RS then ensures it has sufficient inventory to meet clients’ needs, avoiding overstocking while ensuring quick replenishment for clients.

Particularly for C items, RS’s ScanStock solution enables the company to manage inventory on-site for high-volume, low-value items such as fasteners, ensuring stores are regularly restocked, thereby preventing component shortages.

RS South Africa monitors stock levels and handles reordering, invoicing clients monthly for convenience.

With a vast catalogue of products covering various categories, including mechanical power transmission, RS South Africa ensures engineers can quickly access in-demand items, assisting in reducing a client’s downtime and improving operational efficiency, highlighted Wessels.

He added that RS's integrated procurement solutions further simplify the process by enabling engineers to search for parts from within their existing enterprise application provider such as SAP, Oracle or similar systems. They can view customer-specific pricing and make purchases without leaving their workspace, making procurement processes more efficient.

To ensure its product ranges meet high-quality standards, RS South Africa follows a strict vetting process for onboarding new brands, with the company’s international team assessing the quality and reliability of the products prior to inclusion in their catalogues.

Wessels noted that RS's shift towards solutions was driven by customer demand for the company to move beyond only supplying components.

While RS continues to expand its product range, the company now focuses on offering comprehensive solutions for procurement and inventory issues.

Unlike many consultants in the industry, RS differentiates itself by providing both the solutions and the products behind the solutions. With a vast customer base and extensive transactions, RS generates significant industry data, providing insights into product popularity and industry needs. This data allows RS to better assist customers and foster strong partnerships.

Electra Mining
Reflecting on the EMA 2024 expo, held at the Johannesburg Expo Centre, in Johannesburg from September 2 to 6, Wessels highlighted two key benefits of the event, namely building brand awareness and customer engagement, as EMA enabled RS South Africa to connect with new customers while also strengthening relationships with existing ones.

The RS stand featured a diverse team, including technical support, customer service, sales and leadership, enabling the attending team to interact directly with customers through face-to-face conversations that provided valuable feedback. EMA 2024 also enabled the company to gather suggestions about how it could improve its service offerings, concluded Wessels.