Track’em, which has been gaining attention for its innovative material-tracking technology, made its debut at the WA Mining Conference & Exhibition.
Track’em has been making waves in the Australian mining sector, recently securing a significant contract with Rio Tinto, beating out established competitors in the process.
The company’s innovative approach to material tracking has positioned it as a key player across industries, with several Tier 1 companies taking up Track’em’s services.
For Rio Tinto, Track’em has developed an integrated platform that tracks resources across its entire supply chain, from the first mile to the last.
“We provide tracking solutions for mining and oil and gas companies,” Track’em founder and chief executive officer Kashif Saleem said.
“My background is as a software engineer and I used to do fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) work. That’s where I saw how crucial it is to track materials and resources on large projects.”
Track’em has specialised in last-mile tracking for many years, ensuring materials are accurately tracked during the final stages of their journey. Rio Tinto, on the other hand, sought a comprehensive solution that could cover the entire supply chain.
“While we were best-in-class for last-mile tracking, we hadn’t done much middle-mile and first-mile tracking,” Saleem said. “Rio Tinto came to us with this challenge.”
The road to securing the contract wasn’t easy, with Track’em undergoing a rigorous selection process. Saleem said he was up against some major players.
“Rio Tinto went through a very stringent audit process to find the right partner,” Saleem said. “We were an underdog and won the contract over some much larger tech giants.”
Track’em’s focus on delivering a working solution rather than simply promoting its success helps set it apart.
“For us, it was more important that we delivered first and then told the story,” Saleem said.
This commitment to excellence in delivery has been fundamental to Track’em’s approach, which earned the company the Western Australian Innovator of the Year award in 2015. And the Rio Tinto project is its biggest undertaking yet.
“This is the biggest and the largest project we’ve ever done in the past 10 years,” Saleem said “Internally, we call it a technological miracle.
The platform integrates multiple systems, including third-party logistics, and handles millions of transactions a month, running on Microsoft Azure.
“It’s not about the technology, it’s about the people and building those relationships,” Saleem said. “Anyone can build technology, but it’s important to listen to the customers and understand what they need, and be willing to change.”
Track’em’s success story will be highlighted at the upcoming WA Mining Conference & Exhibition (WA Mining), where Saleem will participate in a panel discussion with Rio Tinto.
The focus of the discussion will be on operational excellence and how mining companies can improve efficiency.
“We’re looking forward to understanding the challenges people face and discussing how we can help solve them,” Saleem said.
“The mining industry is very tight-knit – everyone knows everyone – so it’s crucial to attend these conferences, see what others are doing, and learn what opportunities are out there to improve.”
Saleem said industry events such as WA Mining are important because they offer the chance to foster relationships and stay informed.
“It is an exciting opportunity for people who will be attending, and for Track’em, we want to make it interactive,” Saleem said. “I hope people will come prepared to ask questions.”
As Track’em continues to innovate and develop, the company’s presence at WA Mining is proof of its growth from a small Perth-based startup to a key player in the global mining technology landscape.
This feature appeared in the October 2024 issue of Australian Mining.
