CampControl Cost Controls
A major problem with keeping costs under control is the delay
between what's been purchased and what is recorded in the accounting system.
It's all the more difficult when many people are involved both in
purchasing and paying for items.
The following questions often make CFOs nervous:
- What outstanding invoices do we have?
- What have we bought that we don't yet have an invoice for?
- Are the invoices that we're paying correct?
As all CFOs know, the numbers that show up on the company's
financial reports at year end tell a sorry story and can be
difficult to explain if a suitable Purchase Authorisation System is
not in place. Costs quickly spiral out of control
if not reined in by personnel who are accountable.
CampControl puts controls and record keeping at the forefront of
the orders and acquisition process, ensuring that items being
purchased are documented, authorised, purchased and paid for in a systematic and efficient
manner.
Authorisation and payment responsibilities can easily be delegated
to the right staff for efficient operation of the company with
minimal emailing and telephone communication.
How it works
CampControl implements the following workflow for each order:
- A CampControl user enters a purchase order (or request to
purchase)
- A manager authorises it for purchase (authorisation is optional
or mandatory, depending on the configuration of the CampControl
account)
- A manager assigns the order to a purchaser (optional - depending
on configuration)
- The purchaser buys the items, which automatically get added to a
"virtual" warehouse, pending dispatch to the requestor.
- The purchaser uploads the invoice to CampControl, attaching
it to the original order.
- The purchaser ships items from the "virtual" warehouse to
the requestor (optional).
- The requestor marks the items as received, automatically
putting it in inventory (optional).
- A manager checks the invoice and authorises it for
payment if it is acceptable.
- The accounting staff pay the invoice and mark it as "Paid" on
CampControl.
Each step is succinctly recorded on CampControl, and can be skipped if
appropriate, and if the user has the
relevant permissions to perform the subsequent steps.
Workflow Example
Picture this:
- Your camp manager in Peru enters an order for 10 GPS units in CampControl. He provides the details and attaches the
PDF brochure he downloaded from the manufacturer's website.
- While travelling, you as company manager check your email as
you pass through the airport in LA, receive a CampControl authorisation request on your BlackBerry, and provide authorisation
with one click.
- Your expediters in Lima are notified, fulfill the order,
attach (upload) the invoice to the original request, and record
shipping of the GPS units to the camp, attaching the transport company's waybill to the
CampControl Freight Control Sheet (FCS). You are able to
monitor, in CampControl, when the GPS units are received in camp.
- Your accounting staff in Toronto later easily reconcile the expediter's
or suppliers' monthly statements with the invoices
attached to the original requests/orders in CampControl.
As Company Manager you maintain
oversight of the purchasing process with access to all the
information you need for responsible management, while at the same time keeping
your involvement to a minimum and allowing your staff to work
efficiently.
By keeping all associated documentation with the original order, all documents
are organised intuitively, and stored indefinitely. All the orders and their
details are searchable.
Consequently budgeting for the following year becomes less
burdensome as historical purchasing records are readily at hand for cost-estimation purposes.
Shipping and Inventory
A structured order system results in the
additional benefits of simplifying shipping and inventory
management.
CampControl makes it easy to implement best practices in exploration
because best practices are built in to the CampControl workflow.
Expediting Controls
Good expediters send written descriptions of all shipped items in
each shipment they send out to a field camp or mining operation.
The best expediters describe each container these items are shipped
in, together with its contents, and the weight of the packed
container - particularly if it has to travel on an aircraft.
CampControl builds these best practices effortlessly into its
freighting/shipping workflow for both ordered goods being sent into
the field and geological samples being sent to a laboratory.
Click
here to see how.
Inventory
Controls
Cost-conscious purchasers of capital items ensure that their
purchases are immediately entered onto the Company's inventory list
to control losses. CampControl's order-processing workflow
automatically adds all non-grocery purchases to location-specific
inventories, from which their subsequent loss, transfer, replacement
or write-off can easily be managed. Click
here to read about CampControl's Inventory Management
capabilities.
List of CampControl Modules
For first-time readers of our newsletter, here
is a summary list of modules provided by CampControl:
| Work Logs |
Tasks |
Inventory Control |
Sample Custody |
| Drill Progress Logs |
Calendar |
General Orders Control |
Photo Management |
| Vehicle Logs |
Helicopter Logs |
Travel Orders Control |
Document Management |
| Custom Logs |
Custom Reports |
Air Charter Control |
Standard Reports |
Test Drive CampControl
There are two quick ways to try out
CampControl and see how it can improve your efficiency:
(1) Click around inside our Exploration Manager Demo Account - fun
to do because it's full of real exploration data (see top left of our Home Page);
(2) Create a 14-day Free Trial account, configure it to the
locations you operate in and the users who will use it, and
customise it to your company's existing accounting standards. [Contact
us if you need free assistance with this trial setup stage.]
CampControl Tradeshows
CampControl will be on display at the following tradeshows in 2011:
- AMEBC Mineral Exploration
RoundUp
Vancouver: 25 - 27 January, 2011 - Booth B43
- Prospectors and Developers
Association of Canada Convention (PDAC)
Toronto: 6 - 9 March, 2011 - Booth 601
Click here for Sign Up Options
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