Currently very little use is made of Internet technology for buy-sell transactions between mining companies and their suppliers of equipment and services, however, this is about to change. Also during the year, governments and IT firms began to actively encourage suppliers to adopt their own strategies for e-commerce. As we enter 2001, mining companies and suppliers alike are wondering how to integrate new strategies for e-commerce. Most senior managers of mining companies and their suppliers accept, in principle, that the Internet can facilitate buy-sell transactions, including searching for appropriate products and services, tendering, ordering, warehousing, shipping and other matters. However, most of them have serious concerns about how such an important change in commercial processes might affect them in practice.
Specific concerns relate to accessibility, cost, transparency, legality, and fairness.
Buyers, sellers and intermediaries are all concerned about potential threats to the close relationships that they have established, which are key to their business success. To date, there has been little public dialogue amongst buyers, sellers and intermediaries in the mining industry on this critical topic that would appear to have important near-term ramifications for many or all. Canadian junior and senior mining companies and their suppliers need a forum to discuss e-commerce in the mining industry. Its more than 250 corporate members across the country supply the entire mining industry spectrum including mineral exploration, mine development, mining, mineral processing, environmental monitoring, smelting and refining. Registration Pre-registration closes April 12.