GEOVIA's Ralph Smith was quoted in the latest consulting feature by International Mining.
A Changing Landscape
The use of mining consultants is increasing in popularity across the mining sector, says Dan Gleeson of International Mining.
It is hard to know where to draw the line when it comes to mining consultants. The majority of software providers have an advisory arm within their business, while the engineering houses are also considered consultants in some facets of the mining process. More industry-agnostic consultancies are looking to gain inroads into mining, too.
There is a reason for this: consultancy and advisory services are in great demand. Skills shortages have been well documented, and this is one explanation for the rising interest.
Related to this is rising labour costs. Depending on what commodity a mining company is tied to, there may be a need to react to higher operating costs from this side of the spreadsheet with a strategy of outsourcing some of the work to consultants. The flexibility associated with these contractual arrangements appeals to miners looking to balance the books.
The pace of change in the technology space is another reason why the consultancy market is finding favour. Mining companies are, at the most elementary level, struggling to quickly come up with job titles that reflect this change acceleration, so being able to call on outside ‘experts’ to ensure they don’t get left behind works well.
GEOVIA Consulting on Connectivity
@RS, GEOVIA Sales Expert – Management Director, says consultants are not just plugging gaps for mining companies; they’re also helping transform how knowledge is captured, shared and applied across the mining value chain.
Dassault Systèmes GEOVIA is doing this through not just software, but also by enabling knowledge transfer, operational continuity and strategic decision making, he says.
Asked to highlight specific areas of heightened demand for its consulting-related services, Smith looked to areas such as mine planning, geological modelling and data management.
“Companies are turning to us to automate repetitive processes, standardise best practices and provide virtual twins that enhance collaboration between disciplines,” he told IM. “Our platform-based approach through the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform enables teams to work more cohesively and with greater agility, regardless of their physical location or level of experience.”
No single solution can replace deep domain expertise, but digital tools can significantly augment human capability and reduce dependency on scarce specialist roles, according to Smith.
“Through simulation, machine learning and remote collaboration tools, we help mining companies maintain continuity and scale expertise across sites and teams,” he said.
Dassault Systèmes GEOVIA is also ensuring it has the in-house skills to cope with this increasing industry demand by establishing strong partnerships with universities and industry programs, plus conducting in-house training initiatives.
“By integrating our solutions into academic curricula and offering hands-on learning, we’re helping to equip students and young professionals with real-world, future-ready skills,” Smith said. Internally, the company continues to grow its team and foster cross-disciplinary capabilities to meet evolving client needs.
A sustainable talent pool, deep mining and geospatial expertise, and the digital capabilities of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provide the company with a competitive edge in the consulting world, according to Smith. “We offer more than just consulting – we deliver integrated, mining-specific solutions that drive smarter, more sustainable decisions,” he said. “Our specialties lie in strategic mine planning, parametric design and geospatial application. We enable clients to quickly evaluate multiple scenarios and optimise across technical, economic and ESG parameters.”
And the company is also setup to support a more digitally-connected, autonomous and electrified industry, according to Smith. “We enable mining companies to simulate, optimise and validate entire value chains – from pit to plant to tailings – before implementation,” he said. “This starts with a model-based systems approach, providing a way to understand complex systems, allowing for improved analysis and verification of models, reducing errors and improved decision making.”
This is seeing Dassault Systèmes GEOVIA work with clients to rethink conventional flowsheets, leveraging parametric design and strategic planning tools to evaluate innovative configurations. This includes exploring alternatives to traditional SABCs, integrating coarse particle flotation and assessing dry tailings and in-pit backfill scenarios from both economic and ESG perspectives, for example.
The mining sector is often effective at improving or optimising processes within individual disciplines, but continues to fall short when it comes to cross-disciplinary collaboration and connected workflows, according to Smith.
“By connecting geological models, mine plans, processing routes and sustainability data in a single environment, we help clients futureproof their operations with agility and confidence,” he said. “These capabilities are particularly valuable as operations navigate changing energy inputs, water constraints and evolving product specifications.”
Source - International Mining, August 2025
