RSA coal major Exxaro Resources reported positively on the performance of the Qmastor “Pit to Port” software system by Connecticut-based Triple Point Technologies, acknowledging the product’s streamlining and cost-control advantages.

In an interview with the software company, Exxaro coal export manager Melanie Steyn said the system helped improve visibility over the entire supply chain.

“The Qmastor solution has made our supply chain significantly more productive and efficient,” she said.

“Within a few months of using Qmastor, we identified a miscommunication between marketing and finance which led to substantial savings for Exxaro.

“Qmastor brings many benefits to Exxaro – top of the list is saving money and increased productivity.”

The complexity of Exxaro’s operating procedure was cited as necessitating a software-based management program.

Steyn offered the company’s different coal grades, stockpiles and shipping times as evidence of the Pit to Port system’s capacity to effectively juggle logistics.

“A manual supply chain simply cannot provide adequate controls – multiple spreadsheets containing quality information across mines, stockpiles and terminals can mean organizations do not realize there is an issue until it’s too late,” she said.

Exxaro’s total coal portfolio has a capacity of 45 million tonnes per annum.

Triple Point’s commodity management platform serves more than 400 customers in the resources, transportation, manufacturing and retail industries.